Mute
by Tsuki Kitsune Moon Fox
Summary: Walking home, Shiori comes across something she never expected. Under the bushes, just off the path is a small naked girl. Scars litter her body and though she is the size of a older child, she is very much a woman complete with the tail and ears of a fox. What happens when she brings this girl home? What is she? Where did she come from? Poor girl is too timid to even give her name
1. Sneak Peekteaser

_Preview will revised after the first few chapters._

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Intro:

Long ago, or maybe not as long ago as it felt, a young mother, hardly more than a child herself clutched a small bundle to her chest. Light brown hair fell freely around her shoulders as she cried over her child. Small fingers gripped at her mother's hair.

This wasn't meant to happen. She was betrothed to another man but she loved the village boy with all her heart. She didn't mean to fall pregnant. She didn't mean for this to happen. Her family was counting on her to marry the man who could save the Leash, as the group of fox demons was falling on harder and harder times. No one was sure they could survive without merging with the Leash to the north.

It was a small blessing that she was able to hide the pregnancy and give birth unnoticed in the woods. She spent the night with her daughter, nursing her and mourning at the same time. She built the small raft as the sun rose and now, with the warm glow to her back, she stood here at the bank of the river.

She knew the waters would take her daughter past a well-established city. She prayed that someone would see the child, take her in and love her as their own. The fact that no one may see the child, that she could be sentencing her child to death was something she couldn't bear to think about.

With one last kiss she placed the sleeping bundle in the raft and pushed it off the shore. The young woman cried silently as her heart was torn apart. She cried in that spot until sunset.

Things went well for the young woman. She married and merged the two leads just as planned. He never knew she wasn't a virgin bride. A decade later, she died giving birth to what was believed to be her first and only child, a strong son who would in time grow to be a strong man. He would go on to lead his peoples, all were sure of this. It would all go just as it should have.

The baby was found by kind woman, just as her mother had wished. A few short years passed and like many placed in Makai, the city fell on hard times. The woman that the girl knew to be her mother did not have a mate or any other children and soon debts began to add up. The young child was aware of little, being allowed the blissful ignorance of youth.

As the child passed the fourth anniversary of the date she was found the small family held a celebration. Two small cupcakes, one with a candle sat on the table. It was all they could afford. The mother never shared her pain over not even being able to provide a proper birthday cake for her child.

The young girl however, thought it was the best thing ever. They each had their own cakes! How many kids can say they got two cakes for their birthday! She was sure she was the only one in the city to be able to say such a thing.

A rough knock at the door drew her mother's attention away. Men were at the door again, demanding payment for debts long past due. The child peeked into the main room of their small but and watched. She knew the men were mad. It seemed people were always mad at her mother. The girl failed to understand why, her mother was a kind woman.

With a quick thought, she ran to her cot and grabbed her coin purse. It was almost 100 yen in it, she collected it all herself and saved it all, one yen at a time. She wanted to save and get something special for her mother but these men wanted their money.

She didn't know how much 100 yen was, or how much her family owed but she wanted to help. Running into the room as fast as her little legs would carry her, she presented the coin purse to the men. After looking inside the men laughed at her and her mother.

It wasn't a pleasant laugh.

The man she had handed the purse to slapped the small child hard, sending her to the floor. Her ears were ringing and she could hardly hear her mother's cry of outrage over the sound. She cried into the floor as she heard her mother yelling, first angry than in pain. She cowered and hides her eyes as the men took the only person to ever have loved the girl from her. A rough arm pulled her up; her feet couldn't even reach the floor.

"How much do you think the kit will fetch?" The man who had struck her asked the other, his fingers digging into her arm.

"Not enough to cover more than part of our loses. "The other man said with a sigh.

She fainted as she was dragged from the hut.

In a whirlwind she was sold to a man who looked nice enough for what sounded like a lot of money. It was more than she could ever imagine.

The first few years of her life she worked hard but ate better than she could remember ever having had in the past. In her heart a great love and respect for her Master grew. She adored him, he who gave her everything. He taught her how to serve him and run his household even as a small child. She came to know his wants and needs without needing to be ordered.

When she began the road that would lead to her maturity and started to develop into a young woman herself, rather than the boyish girl she was, things changed. Her life shattered and when the pieces fell back into place; it was something she couldn't recognize, full of pain and fear. She lived this new life for many years, though she lost track of the number.

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 _Haven't even had Gaijin finished for a day and here I am. Oh dear! Oh dear!_

 _We have the intro for Mute, it is just a teaser really. A hint at what is to come. I don't plan on having this updated for a few months but I did want to give those who read Gaijin and anyone else a sneak peek. After the first few chapters this will be rated M, it will deal with harsh subjects, it will not always be easy to swallow. I am very excited for this story, I wasn't able to really explore Hiei in Gaijin but in this story, he will be thrust into center stage for a good portion of it._

 _Review, tell me you thoughts, ideas, what you like or dislike about this intro. I love to hear from readers- it makes my day actually._

 _Well now, see you all in a month or two._

 _Best wishes,_

 _Tsuki._


	2. Chapter 1

_Welcome, welcome! Thank you all for taking the time to read the intro and for fallowing this story. I can't say enough how excited I am for this story. It is such a challenge for me, to write a character who doesn't speak one single word, to begin to imagine how one would think after not speaking for an untold number of years. I also wanted to challenge myself to give Shiori a role in this story. I feel she has so much to offer yet is often left on the side as she wasn't a major player in the series.  
_

 _I want to thank those of you who came over from Gaijin. News for you, I'll be doing a series of one-shot's under the title of 'Adventures of a Gaijin' to fallow up and check in on Michelle and Kurama so keep your eyes out. It will just be light fun, what I originally set out for that story to be._

 _This story is rated M. Please be aware. It gets dark at times but that will all come in due time. I do hope you enjoy chapter 1 while I go back to writing chapter 6._

 _Mikila94, Good to see you here! I hope I live up to your expectations this time. Unlike in Gaijin, I have a clear idea of where I am going. As for whom our little kit's brother is; wait and see. He has a place in this story but he won't be addressed for a long time yet._

 _Ari, Thanks for reading Gaijin. I do hope you enjoy this one too._

 _MissMarzia, hello again! I'm glad you are so excited for this story. I am too! I actually moved it to my work computer so as to work on it during the day and put my Black Butler work on hold._

 _Slybabyblues, welcome! I'm happy you are excited for this._

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Chapter 1:

A woman sighed as she walked through the park, holding a bag of groceries in her hands. With her husband and step son away for the month to spend quality time together, she was again cooking for just herself and her own son. While she missed the company, Shiori did enjoy the break from the chores that came with a four person family.

The warm morning sun reminded her that spring was well under way and soon, summer would be in full bloom. The sky was clear and bright. Birds chirped as they fluttered from branch to branch in the trees overhead.

It was peaceful in the park with most people at work or school. She had the place to herself and she found that nice.

She sighed as she turned down the dirt path that served as a shortcut to her neighborhood. She should have taken the bus or a cab really, but the walk was nice. She thought about her life, her son and how he has grown over the years as she walked.

He had begun to grow into a man she could be proud of. He was tall, like his father and had grown to be a strong, kind man. For the longest time she worried about him, he was an angry child. Then as he grew, though he was kind he isolated himself. Now at least he had some friends, she had even gotten to meet a few of them.

Yet he never seemed to be interested in romantic pursuits. For a while, she questioned if maybe he just lacked interest in women. Yet again, he didn't seem to have an interest in men. The woman sighed; maybe grandchildren just wouldn't be in her future. Maybe she would get some grandchildren from her stepson.

It was then that she came upon her, the girl that would change reality as she knew it and open her eyes to the greater world around her.

A small form was huddled under a tree and between the bushes. Slender legs stretched out across the trail. The sun danced on the exposed pale skin as the breeze moved the leaves of the trees. At first, Shiori thought the girl dead. It was only when she touched her and found her bloody, bruised but still breathing.

It was then, standing between the bushes off the side of the path that Shiori realized this small girl, no, young woman, had ears similar to that of a red fox and a tail to boot. She didn't doubt that they were real, the girl had no clothes and it was clear to see there was no way for the appendages to be attached to her artificially.

Shiori decided then that calling the police may not be the best choice. Rather, she called her son. He didn't answer, as was normal when he was away on work. Shiori didn't know what he son did for work but such was normal. He had told her it was a good company that had him traveling a lot. She just knew that he left for a few weeks at a time after he finished High School, always saying it wasn't important and for her not to worry about him. She left him a voicemail, requesting aid with a houseguest. He was due to return home in a few days.

Shiori threw her coat over the woman and picked her up the best she could, stuffing her arms into the sleeves and zipping the coat up. It covered her well with the hem resting just at her shins. Shiori then threw the hood up over the girl's head and gently as she could, eased the girl's ears down and back, against her head. She was light and it was easy to see how underweight she was. Shiori leaned the girl up against a tree and quickly was able to maneuver the girl onto her back to carry her small form piggy back.

Shiori made quick work of the walk home. All the while she hoped no one would stop her and ask about the girl. She felt safe knowing that with the girl's ears hidden and most of her tail covered by the coat, no one would have much extra reason to stop her. Shiori counted on being able to play the girl off as her daughter if she should be questioned. The girl was about the size of a young teenager or older child so it was a reasonable excuse. None the less, she didn't want to have to try.

What Shiori didn't notice was a figure, clad in black that fallowed shortly behind her hidden in the trees. It was pure chance that he had seen her. Hiei had been on his way back to Makai after checking on his sister, as he regularly did though the girl wasn't aware of it.

The demon that Shiori had found was so very weak that he didn't pick up on her energy at all in passing. She would have gone unnoticed by him if Kurama's human mother did not find her. Once he focused more on the small girl, he could pick up on her energy. She was alive. Weak yes, but alive.

He fallowed for a few minutes, waiting for the girl to awake. Surely she couldn't be so weak as to truly be passed out on the side of the trail. Mayhap she was hiding her power. Once he was sure she was as weak and pathetic as she appeared he left to find his friend.

Shiori made quick work of the walk. It saddened her to feel how light the girl was. She expected to at least be tired by the time she reached her home but she wasn't. It reminded her of carrying her son so many years ago when he was a young boy.

For a moment, she wondered if the girl on her back weighed more than 50 pounds. Surely, whatever she weighed wasn't enough, even for a girl of such small size. Shiori reminded herself again that it wasn't a child on her back, but a woman who appeared to not be human. No matter, the girl, woman, looked to have had been through much more than anyone should in her years, judging by the scars.

For a moment she paused at the stairs just inside the front door and took a moment to consider where to rest the girl. While her step son was away with his father, she didn't wish to allow the girl use of his room. It was a bit messy and crowded with things. Shiori had to admit it wasn't a room she would wish to wake up in.

That left her own bedroom that she would need to use and her own son's room. His room was pleasant enough, smelled better than most rooms in the house as well. It was decided then. She would rest in his room for the time being. She would just have to explain things when he returned her call and move her later.

With that, she settled the woman on her son's bed and left her to gather supplies. Shiori returned with a washcloth soaking in a pot of warm soapy water and bandages. She left again to fetch a pot of clean warm water, a towel and one of her own night shirts to dress the girl in.

Just before she set about her work, her phone rang.

"Hello" She called into the device, held in place by her shoulder.

"Mother, is everything alright?" Her son returned her call and she was somewhat surprised to hear from him so soon.

"Yes. We have a, " She paused, what to call the girl. "Houseguest. I was calling to see if you could come home and help me with her?" Shiori didn't know how to tell her son that their houseguest was someone she found near dead on a trail or that the girl had a tail and ears. He would surely think her mad.

"I'm on my way. I'll be home soon Mother." He sounded worried.

"Is everything alright, Shuiichi?"

"Yes Mother, everything is fine. Be safe" With that, the line went dead. Shiori was left confused but had bigger things to think about.

Shiori spent the rest of the morning and on into the early afternoon cleaning the girl's wounds and washing the dirt from her body. As she worked, many scars revealed themselves to her, some of which clearly very old and others hardly finished healing. Her heart pained her for this woman who in so many ways looked as a child.

The girl's face was soft and round, void of sharp features and very girlish. She would be pretty, once she gained enough weight to fill in all the places where her bones showed through. In time she would probably grow into a beautiful woman, if she was able to keep some weight on.

As she tucked the blankets around the girl she heard the front door open and close. Shiori wondered who it could be.

"Mother, I'm home" Her son called. Shiori was surprised that he was home so soon. He always said his work sent him far away, though he never specified where.

"Welcome home." She called as she left his room and closed the door behind her, after one last glance at the sleeping girl with fox ears.

She met up at the stairs and asked him to join her in the kitchen where she started a pot of tea. He sat watching her for a moment before speaking.

"Mother, you mentioned a house guest? Where is she?" He asked. Shiori noticed that he said 'she' and was surprised. Surely it was just an assumption and so she wrote it off as such. It's not like someone else could have told him.

She was silent for a moment as she pulled a pot out and started making a broth soup. Shiori didn't speak until it was finished. Tea and a broth soup would be good for the girl, if she could wake her enough to drink some.

"She's upstairs, sleeping." She admitted as she gathered bowls and cups. Her son took from her the pot of tea and bowl of soup and she started to lead the way up the stairs. He followed silently, unsure of what to make of the situation.

"She's a bit… different then us." Shiori finally admitted as she opened his bedroom door and revealed their houseguest.

In his bed, much to his surprise laid a fox demon. She was small and frail; a condition he could assume came from chronic undernourishment. He judged her age around 75 but it was impossible to be sure, his assessment could be off as she clearly hadn't properly been fed for a good long time. Wet blonde hair rested around her face and disappeared under the blankets. Matching golden ears graced the top of her head, ending in a black tip.

They hardly twitched at the sound of Shiori's voice and that left Kurama concerned for the little kit. It was a bad sign when a fox was so unresponsive to sound. No matter how deep she slept her ears should swivel and twitch actively at sound. She was truly in rough shape.

As he knelt by the bed he was able to examine her closer. Her ears were a bit too large for her head, leading him to think she may be a bit older than he first assumed. Her growth could easily be stunted by lack of proper food. Her face was covered in small scars and cuts, though the damage got worse as his eyes traveled down her neck.

The blanket however hid much of her from his eyes. He could see the lump of her tail under the covers, not nearly as bushy as it should have been.

He had never intended for his human Mother to know first had of demons let alone to have her knowingly encounter one. Yet she had taken it upon herself to bring a sick and injured kit into her home, regardless of the danger it could have put her in. For a moment, he was awed anew by the kindness of his Mother's heart. He couldn't even be sure if the thought that she may be dangerous had occurred to his the kind woman.

"I found her like that." Shiori came to stand beside him next to his bed. "She was just lying on the ground, naked." Her voice was soft; saddened that anyone would do such a thing to another being.

"Has she awoken at all?" He asked, fingers brushing the small hairs inside her ears. He was rewarded with small twitching as her ears tried to pull away, but the movements were weak. Not nearly the violent twitches they should have been.

"No, not once." Shiori set the tea and soup down on his nightstand and rubbed the girl's lower leg softly. He remembered her doing the same to him when he was a young boy and had gotten sick.

"Injured?" Kurama tried to think of where she could have come from.

"Nothing that looked serious but she has a lot of deep cuts. There was a lot of blood but I cleaned her up the best I could." She paused, looking down at her hands. "Shuiichi, I don't know what to do but I couldn't leave her out there."

He sighed, "I know Mother."

He knelt on the bed and pulled the girl into a sitting position, trying his best to not harm her. With one hand he swept her tail out of his way and slid behind her, allowing her upper body to rest on his chest.

"What are you doing?" Shiori was shocked by his action. Never once had she seen him so much as hold a girl's hand and yet now he seemed so comfortable moving her.

"She needs some fluids and nutrition. She can't very well drink your soup lying down." She hadn't thought about that. He was right.

Once he had her positioned to his liking he directed his mother to pour small spoonfuls of soup into the girl's mouth while he rubbed her throat, encouraging her to swallow it. They worked as a team until she had drank a quarter of the soup and eaten a few very small, soft bits of tofu and vegetables. Shortly after they finished Kurama laid her back down and sat in the room watching the sleeping girl.

"I'm sorry for calling you from your work. Thank you for coming home so soon." Shiori whispered.

"It was no trouble, Mother." Kurama noticed that the kit's ears moved more now that she had something in her stomach. He hoped that she was just half starved would recover quickly. The sooner she recovered, the sooner she was out of his home. This was all assuming that she didn't mean ill will and wasn't playing sick to get to him, though he doubted that.

He listened absentmindedly as his mother spoke of the scars that littered the girl's body. It looked like she had a hard life. He could clearly see that she was not a fighter; she couldn't be considering her condition. Foxes and vixens in particular tended to be peaceful less threatened. Preferring small game and plants, they tended to keep a more neutral view of humans.

He would have little trouble keeping his mother safe should this little kit turn on them when she awoke. A scuffle with her however could result in revealing his demon nature to his mother. It wasn't something he wanted to reveal to her however… She seemed accepting enough of the little kit. It would be a bridge he would have to cross if and when the time came, of that he was sure.

It took some convincing however Shiori agreed to leave the girl in his room for the time being and allow him to watch over her while she went about the rest of her day. The moment the door shut, he was up and opening the window.

Within seconds Hiei was standing by the bed looking at the sleeping form. This was the first chance he had to actually take a close look at her.

"What do you think?" Kurama asked his most trusted friend.

"She seems pathetically weak." His voice was as cold as Kurama had expected.

"Yet we both know how deceiving things can be." Kurama heaved a sigh, "I can't be here all the time yet I doubt Mother will allow her out of her care."

"Hn." Hiei was not going to offer up anything. Kurama was sure his friend knew to what he was leading the conversation but was forced to voice his request.

"Keep an eye on her, when I can't?" Kurama asked, knowing that he was requesting a lot of his friend.

Rather than verbally respond positively or negatively, Hiei simply walked over to the window and took a seat on the ledge. With one last look at the girl on the bed he settled for watching out the window.

That however was enough to satisfy Kurama, who then left the room. With someone to look after the little kit and see to his mother's safety, Kurama finally felt safe enough with the situation to consider leaving the house to inform Koenma of the situation.

"Mother?" his voice startled the woman who stood at the sink, washing dishes.

"Yes dear?" She sounded tired but happy. Kurama was confused with how his mother was reacting to finding a little fox demon.

"About the… girl," He paused, still unsure.

"Have I ever told you the story of our surname? How long ago it was bestowed on your father's line for the noble deeds of an ancestor long ago?" Her voice took on a light tone. It was one she always had when she spoke of her late husband. She didn't really wait for him to answer before she continued, she was fairly sure she had never told him this story. She tired when he was a boy but he didn't care to hear it.

"Generations and generations ago, a wondering samurai found an injured fox on the side of the road near what was to become Edo. Taking pity on the poor creature he took it in. For twenty days and twenty nights he nursed the fox back to health. On the twentieth night, the fox disappeared. When the night of the next full moon came, the fox returned and sat before the man and spoke.

'I am known as Minamino. For the kindness you have shown a humble fox, I shall bless your sons, and their sons for each generation to match your kindness.'

The man knew that a blessing from kitsune always come at a price and rather than count his good fortune, waited for the creature to continue.

'You have paid much already to earn this blessing.' The fox's voice came softly. 'The only requirement I make of you is that your sons and their sons bear my name for so long as your line is blessed. Should the name die out before twenty generations have passed, my blessing will die with that last son.'

That was how this family came upon the name." She finished. Her son was silent through the story.

"You believe that story?" His voice was soft and in that moment he so painfully reminded her of his late father. How she missed him.

"Your father did and because of that, I do as well. How could I not when I have a girl upstairs with the ears and tail of a fox?" She smiled. "Maybe she's a fox spirit."

"It seems so." He admitted. Fox demon, fox spirit, close enough. He himself knew that they often were the same creatures. "I have a friend upstairs to help with her. I'll be back soon. do you need anything while I'm out?"

Shiori sent him away with a small list, a few things that would cook soft enough for them to try and get the girl to eat. She was confused, how could a friend have made it upstairs without her noticing? She filed it under the oddities that seemed to follow her son at times and made some tea to bring the friend.

Upstairs she found a young man, hardly taller than the fox girl she would guess, wearing black from head to toe. He was balanced in the window with his back resting against the sill, legs along the bottom and feet resting against the opposite sill as he looked out at the busy neighborhood.

"I'm Shiori, Shuuichi's mother. It's good to meet one of his friends. I brought you some tea, if you would like." After a quick bow, she walked over and set the tray holding a teapot and cup on the nightstand. When he didn't respond, she tried again, "You will be helping us care for our guest?"

He looked at her with a strangely blank look. A response! Now that she was sure he wasn't deaf she tried again. "Shuuichi went out. He didn't leave me your name…"

"Hiei." His voice was clipped as if he was annoyed. Regardless, she was satisfied now that she had a name for the young man who came unnoticed into her home and she was now sure he had the ability to speak.

"I'll be downstairs, if you need anything." She called as she left. It was clear he didn't want company.


	3. Chapter 2

_Hello again!_

 _I do intend for weekly updateds on Thursdays or Fridays. I feel safe committing to that. I feel a bit like a time traveler, here in the past from chapter six where I am currently writing!_

 _TiaKay, thank you for the review. Shiori really is very kind. I hope to be such a kind mother to my own daughter as she was to her son._

 _Slybabyblues, Thanks for the review. Will our little fox girl be a bridge for Kurama to tell Shiori what he was and in so many ways, still is? Donno, haven't gotten to that point yet. Time will tell. He is certainly shocked and amazed and how well she is accepting this little kit._

 _I love reviews. I love hearing what readers think of they story as a whole and of each chapter. I love reactions to cliff hangers and plot twists. I love hearing from you all._

 _Until next week,_

 _Tsuki_

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Chapter 2:

Silence and solitude. Red eyes glared at the figure on the bed as her ears twitched before flattening against her head. Tears feel from her eyes as she scrunched up her face some. It looked like she was whimpering but no sound came from her.

Hiei looked back out the window. Not perfect solitude but at least she was doing him the courtesy to not cry out in her dreams. Time passed slowly and it was nearly an hour before the kit stopped twitching and leaking from her closed eyes.

At this rate, he was fairly sure she would awaken within a few days naturally. With continued care under Kurama she could awaken sooner. Yet her energy still felt similar to that of a newly birthed pup, not that of a grown vixen.

Shiori had returned to the room for a short while, sitting the girl up and helping her to drink as she had seen her son do. How he knew to do such things, she didn't know. She was forced to assume it was something he learned from his employment but it seemed so weird. She fed the girl a few bites of what looked very similar to baby food.

She again tried to make conversation with Hiei and was pointedly ignored. She gave up again, though she never did let the pleasant smile fall from her face. Again she had left him with the suggestion to call for her if he wanted anything or he noticed any changes in 'fox girl', as she had taken to calling her.

Shiori busied herself in the kitchen while she waited. Her mind was focused on the girl. What sort of life had she lived, to be so small and so hurt. Why was she naked?

As his mother tried to keep herself busy, Kurama made quick work of the journey to Koenma. He needed any information he could get and that was the best place to start. Unfortunately for him, Koenma was just as clueless as to the girl's origins. It would be something the young ruler would look into- it would be hard to pinpoint anything however until the girl woke.

With that completed, it was to the market. It was the fairly typical trip. Dodging unwanted female attention as he shopped, he quickly gathered vegetables from his mother's list. It was clear to him that she was thinking of soups and soft things for their house guest.

He could hear a group of schoolgirls cooing over him. He ignored them as he walked by. In the past he had adored the attention of females but as he aged, he found he preferred fine woman who were powerful. These girls were just that, girls.

Shiori was glad to greet her son. He seemed so confident as he handled and cared for the girl. He knew how to get her to eat, even though she wasn't even awake. While Shiori wanted to help her, she really hadn't much of a clue how.

"How has she been?" Kurama asked as he placed the bags on the counter and began unpacking them.

"I helped her eat a little more." She pulled a pot out. She would be making a lot of soup until the little fox girl woke up.

"She woke?" He slipped behind her and placed the vegetables in the refrigerator.

"Oh, no. I fed her like you did." The broth began to boil.

He was pleased that she managed to not kill the girl. His mother was truly a natural at caring for others however feeding one who wasn't actually awake was a dangerous task. As she reached for the leaks, he placed them in her hand. Ever the helpful son he was.

"Your friend is very talkative." She said as she gave the pot a quick stir. Her son's smile was not missed by her.

"He certainly is. I hope he didn't talk too much." He chuckled as he gathered bowls and spoons and sat them on the counter. He wouldn't let his mother carry the hot pot. It was good to know Hiei hadn't done anything to upset his mother; he could be a bit harsh at times.

Inside his room he found Hiei sitting in his window. His eyes quickly flicked over them before returning to the sill in front of them. The girl resting in his bed didn't look to have moved. Her ears were more responsive to sound, even if just a bit. The improvement was good to see anyway.

As before, he sat the girl up and slid behind her. He hated how she felt so light against his chest. She felt so frail against him. Shiori drew his attention to her as she offered Hiei some soup. He denied, as was expected.

What wasn't expected was the soft tips of her ears twitching against his neck. It seemed moving her managed to draw her out of her sleep to a degree, yet she still seemed to swim under a blanket of unconsciousness. It was a good sign, none the less.

Shiori was quick to bring a bowl of soup within his reach. He was thankful that she was more responsive, it would be much easier to avoid drowning her this time. It was easier to pour each spoon full of soup into her small mouth. It only took the slightest encouragement and tilt of her head back to get her to swallow.

Her color was better now, though she still was very pale. It really looked as if her skin hadn't really seen much sun at all.

It was slow work, feeding her. He could feel Hiei's gaze on them, watching for any change in her condition. It was a great aid as in his current position, Kurama couldn't visually watch for reactions. If she were to lash out, his mother wouldn't know what to watch for.

As Shiori dabbed at the girl's mouth, they were rewarded with twitching of her ears. He could feel the tip of her tail twitching against his leg. Hiei and Shiori watched as her nose twitched and eyes scrunched.

Unfortunately, she still had some soup in her mouth and when she sucked in a shocked breath her lungs were assaulted with soup. She leaned forward and pulled her knees to her chest as she violently coughed. Her eyes watered as she clutched them closed.

What surprised all observing was the hallow, weak sounds of her coughing. Kurama rested his hand on her shoulder as he knelt behind her. Shiori was quick to go to the fox girl's side and softly patted her back. Soon the girl was taking shaky breaths.


	4. Chapter 3

_Hello! Sorry for missing last weeks post. Busy with wedding planning. This will be the only chapter posted until after my wedding on 4/9. Sorry, I have way too much going on. That's not to say I wont be writing, I will be. Actually getting things posted... that will probably fall though the cracks. Forgive me?_

 _NightlyRowenTree, thanks for the reviews on the last few chapters! 3_

 _MissMarzia, nice to see you again!_

 _TiaKay, Hope you like this chapter!_

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Chapter 3:

When she came to, the first thing that occurred to her was the full feeling in her belly. It was a strange feeling. It had been so long, it felt foreign to not feel hunger pains. She also felt warm. That was another strange thing to her. She was used to sleeping on the cold hard concrete yet she sat on a soft surface.

Then it hit her. She felt it, hands on her. Pale eyes snapped open wide as she froze and waited. She didn't hear his voice.

Kurama's guard went up the moment he felt her body tense. It was typical for one who was hurt and confused to lash out. He hoped she wouldn't target his mother. Should she lunge, he was ready to grab her.

Hiei shifted in his seat, placing one foot on the ground. His eyes were trained on the small girl and should she make one wrong move and he was ready to move.

Where was she? Who were these people? Where was he?

When she moved, it was sudden. Panic was wild in her eyes. Limbs seemed to suddenly be everywhere as she kicked at the bed, pushing herself away from them until she there was the soft thump of her back against the wall.

Kurama slowly moved around in front of the girl, still on the bed. He needed to be able to see her.

Shiori watched as Fox Girl took the opening her son created to shuffle herself into the corner. It hurt her heart to see how scared the girl looked.

"It's okay…" Shiori shushed the girl, talking softly, moving slowly toward the girl, who's ears seemed to be twitching franticly.

"Mother." Kurama warned, not wanting his mother to get closer to the girl.

His mother however seemed to have other ideas. Slowly she reached out and softly rested her hand on the girl's head, whispering soft words to her. Fox Girl cringed under her hand, as if rather than a gentle pat she expected to receive a harsh hit.

That did not go unnoticed by the two men in the room.

"What's your name dear?" Shiori asked softly as her son subtly pulled her back.

Fox Girl looked up at her with large wet eyes. Their color took Shiori's breath away. They were such a pale golden color. In response to the question, the girl simply blinked up at her with her wet eyes.

Where was master? Why was she in a bed? Why was she dressed? Who were these people?

She looked at the red headed man kneeling on the bed. She didn't know what he wanted. Maybe he liked to be watched? Could her master have sent her to these people? Did he like toys dressed?

They watched as whimpers and cries died in her throat. It was strange to them; she made not a single sound.

She looked again at the people in the room, then the man in front of her. He seemed to want something from her. He was on the bed. He must have been the one that wanted her on a bed. It was hard to tell what he wanted. She was on a bed. She needed to please him.

She took a shaky breath before braving moving closer to him. Her tail swayed behind her. If Master sent her here, he would be angry if she didn't please his client. She didn't want Master angry at her. Her ears tilted back and clearly communicated her timid nature.

It surprised all in the room that she approached Kurama. The shock however, only got greater. She reached out with a too thin arm and Kurama sat up straighter, not sure as to what she was doing. It was a move he regretted when her thin fingers slipped around his belt. She made shockingly quick work of undoing it.

Shiori sat in stunned shock. She watched as her son leaned away from the girl on the bed before him. As her son moved back, the fox girl moved forward on all fours. Her fingers made fast work of the button on her son's pants as Shiori's hands went to her mouth.

Thankfully, in both Kurama's mind and his mother's, as he scooted back he found the edge of the bed and quickly fell off in an undignified heap.

"What are you doing?!" Shiori was beside herself. Why would the girl behave so forward with her son?

The girl looked at woman. She looked displeased? The man who fell off the bed quickly stood up and refastened his pants, allowing his belt to hang uselessly.

"Yes, I fear you misunderstand." He confirmed softly. Something about this girl wasn't right. As she reached for him, he was allowed a good look at her arms, littered with scars. It was clear that at some point, she spent a good deal of time in shackles. This girl seemed to just bring more and more questions.

They watched as her ears lay against her ears. Tears gathered in her eyes. She displeased him. She displeased them all. If they told master… But she didn't know what to do. She just wanted to know how to please them. She began to shake as the scent of her fear filled the air.

Shiori was the only one who was ignorant to the scent, though it would be impossible not to pick up on the girl's fear. The woman sat on the bed, just an arm's length from the girl.

"It's okay. Did you have to do those things in the past?" Shiori softly asked. She waited but the only answer the girl gave was a wide eyed stare. Though her eyes were such a pale gold, she had a doe eyed look to her.

"You don't have to do those things here." Shiori added after it was clear that Fox Girl wasn't going to answer.

Tea should help calm the girl. When Shiori shifted to reach for the teapot and a cup, the girl flinched back, as if she feared the pot would be thrown at her regardless of the woman's kind words.

As soon as Shiori was off the bed the girl scooted back again, until she was safe against the wall. When she offered the girl the cup however, she wouldn't take it. The small girl just looked at the cup then back up to Shiori and cocked an ear to the side.

She knew better than to take things without Master's permission. Did master think she would misbehave? Was he testing her? The woman in front of her sighed before grabbing her hands and wrapping them around the cup. She didn't want this cup. She was so thirsty, was this Master's punishment? She didn't remember being bad.

"I'm Shiori." The woman spoke before waving her hand at the red headed man, "This is my son, Shuuichi and that," she pointed at the man in black who now stood a few feet behind her "is his friend, Hiei."

Again she waited for a response. Tears slipped out of the girl's eyes as she dropped the cup and scooted toward the bottom edge of the bed. She didn't want to be on the bed anymore. Beds were for when she was making Master and his clients happy, when she was serving their needs. It wasn't right to be on a bed now.

The edge came sooner than she expected and she fell off with an ungraceful tumble. They could see her mouth move as if to scream but no sound came out. Even as she righted herself and huddled into the corner, where the foot of the bed met the wall she didn't make a sound.

"Won't you tell us your name, dear?" Shiori asked again.

Behind them, Hiei moved closer to Kurama. It allowed him a better look at her. What they could see of the girl's too thin limbs were littered with scars. A gash on her leg had torn back open and blood was seeping through the bandages.

Her hair fell over her shoulders, preventing a clear view of her neck but Hiei was sure he would find more scars. It intrigued him, the lack of sound from the girl even when she coughed. She should have made some vocalization when she fell- it was natural and vixen were known for being vocal creatures.

"It's okay, we can help you but we need to know your name." Kurama knelt down next to his human mother.

The girl simply twitched her ears and again dumbly blinked at them. She held her knees tighter to her chest. Hiei almost thought the woman lame but something wasn't sitting right with him. It surprised Kurama when his friend stood directly behind him and watched the girl.

"Would you like some soup? Maybe some rice?" Shiori asked.

More ear twitches and blank looks.

"She's not going to answer." Hiei stated simply as he walked up to the girl.

She cringed away from him but if his theory was right, it all made sense. The deep scars on her wrists and ankles in addition to the shallow wounds that had littered her exposed skin.

He knelt in front of her and her ears rested nearly against her head. She had nowhere to run, no way to back further into a hole. She was too weak to fight him, he knew that. Suddenly his hand shot out and gripped her jaw as he pulled her forward. Her fingers clutched at him but she made no attempt to fight back.

Fighting back would get her punished by Master, she knew this.

"Hiei." Kurama hissed.

"What are you doing?!" Shiori shrieked.

"Look," He used his other arm to pin her shoulders and arms to her body, using his own to brace her against.

Her neck was on full display. While she was littered with scars, the ones on her neck were unique. Focused in the center, they were deeper. Whoever had done the job, it wasn't pretty nor did it look to have been anything but painful. The way the scar was jagged, without any clean lines it Kurama couldn't have imagined that they did her the kindness of doing the procedure while she was unconscious.

"What?" Shiori interrupted, this was not how a guest should be treated.

"She's been muted." Kurama had the sense to notice the scar the moment her neck was on display. He felt foolish for not noticing but even among slaves it was rare for one to be muted.

Shiori's hands went to her mouth. The poor girl. The poor child. No, she wasn't a child. She had to keep reminding herself that Fox Girl was really a fox woman. How could anyone do such a thing?

"She's a slave." Hiei confirmed, letting go of the softly crying girl.

Rather than run away or hide, she sat where she landed and cried. It dawned on her, when the man in black… Hiei, the woman had said his name was, grabbed her that these people didn't know she couldn't talk.

"We don't know your master, girl." Hiei stated plainly as she looked up at him.

"We won't hurt you." Shiori was crying softly for the girl. Never had she known someone as broken as this girl had to be.

"You're safe here." Kurama confirmed.

Fox Girl simply pulled her knees in and cried harder. She didn't know what to do. There wasn't even a time that she could remember where Master didn't dictate her every move. She served him, and he provided for her and protected her. His clients would have done so much worse to her if he hadn't demanded she live.

But, he also hurt her.


	5. Chapter 4

_*peeks head in* So ah... Hi? I'm here. I shouldn't be though. I have far too much to do. But oh well. Guess you all wont miss out on a update this week after all?_

 _In other news: I am just finishing up chapter 7 but my laptop took a shit. Taking it in next week. But I am mainly writing at work anyway so whatever. It puts a damper on my plan to write a lot next week but whatever. I can only do what I can do._

 _NightlyRowenTree, thank you again for the review. I can see in stats that people are reading this but... its nice to hear it from everyone. Even a 'hi, thanks!' is amazingly a great motivator._

 _MisMarzia! I didn't mean to make you cry! Goodness, I actually really liked that last chapter- even found it somewhat comical. Don't you worry, our little kit has a lot of growing a head of her. But so does Hiei and Kurama in some ways._

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Chapter 4:

She was thankful to be left alone as she cried. Well, somewhat at least. They didn't try talking to her anymore but someone always stayed in the room. The woman had left after a short time, saying she would be back in a bit.

That left her alone with the red headed man and the man in black. She listened as they talked about her as if she wasn't in the room. That was something she always hated.

"Any idea who she might belong to?" Redhead asked. Shuuichi, she remembered the woman saying his name was.

"Why would I know?" Man in black answered shortly. She said his name was Hiei, wasn't it? It didn't really matter.

"I haven't the slightest idea either." Kurama sighed, seemingly not bothered by his friend's harsh tone. "If they had one, surely there are more."

"I don't remember slavery being a crime in Makai." Hiei clearly didn't think it was his problem.

"Not…" Kurama's eyes went to her again, checking if she was awake or listening. Oh good, they remembered she was in the room. She blankly looked back at them with bloodshot eyes. He sighed before speaking again. "Sex slavery is a crime however."

"It's not my problem, Kurama" Hiei warned.

She had no reaction to the words they spoke. It didn't matter.

Kurama pushed himself off the wall he had been leaning on and grabbed a pen and notebook from his desk. As he made his way to her, she watched as he flipped through until he found a blank page before setting them on the small table by his bed.

Softly he grabbed her upper arm and pulled her to her feet. She was so light that it took no effort on his part at all.

"Come, sit down over here. It would be much more comfortable for you." He spoke as he guided her to sit on the bed, near the end table.

"Do you know how to write?" He asked as he settled the notebook on her lap. All he received was a small twitch of her ear.

What was 'to write'? She was confused and looked up at him when he sighed. Ever so gently he placed a small tube in her hand. What was this?

"Can you write your name down for us? So we know what to call you?" Kurama asked softly as his mother returned to the room with a clean night shirt and change of shorts for her.

Her name? Again she cocked her ear to the side as she looked between the three faces. Did she have a name? No one every called her anything that they didn't call the others.

"She has no name." He chimed in. "And the fool doesn't know what 'writing' is." This was bloody pathetic.

"What?" Shiori gasped. That was insanity. How the girl could not even know what writing was, let alone how to do it was mind boggling. She didn't even have a name.

When Hiei spoke what she couldn't tell them, Fox girl's eyes widened and locked on him. She didn't know how, but he knew- even if only just a little bit. He understood, somehow.

"You need a name then." Shiori declared.

"Why?" Hiei asked as he watched the girl's ridiculous black tipped ears twitch as she watched him.

Her mind was different, trying to hear her thoughts did him no good as she seemed to not think in words. It was somewhat fascinating that one who could not speak would stop thinking in spoken language. It made getting answers from her more difficult.

"We can't keep calling her 'Fox Girl', now can we?" Shiori stated plainly.

Kurama's quick glair silenced Hiei's planned retort. She was the only one calling her 'fox girl'.

"How does 'Yuki' sound? Would you like that for a name?" Shiori suggested. Everyone needs a name.

The girl looked up at the woman, eyes wide. This woman had no reason to care for her or give her a name. This woman was nice. They don't know Master. Master didn't take her here. She was pretty sure Master didn't want her here. She needed to find Master. Master would hurt these people to punish her for going away.

Slowly, she scooted to the edge of the bed and tried to stand as she ignored their protests. Her face was still damp with tears. It wouldn't be right to let these people be hurt by master.

She only was able to take one shaky step before her legs gave out. With Shiori blocking his path, Kurama was helpless to catch the little fox his mother dubbed 'Yuki' and could only watch.

Hiei, though in a position to catch her choose to simply watch as her knees buckled. She could still see his cold red eyes as her face hit the ground. A few small tears slipped down her cheeks. She didn't hear him move, but the movements were closely watched by Kurama.

In front of her, a black clad knee hit the ground causing her to look up. She didn't know a word to describe his eyes, so red- almost the same shade as blood. They seemed to hold a power, as if lit by fire. She wondered if they had a glow to them, in the dark.

One too warm hand gripped her by her upper arm, near the shoulder and pulled her to her feet. Before she had even a chance to get steady, the man- hardly taller than herself- pushed her back.

"Stay put." He ordered, as she bounced on the bed.

Kurama watched with a raised eyebrow. In a way, he knew to be thankful that Hiei wasn't rougher with the small girl. It was truly strange though, to see a female who'd reached maturity so small. Hiei even had a few inches on her.

Shiori was less than pleased with the treatment of her guest. Shuuichi's hand on her shoulder caused her to look back at him, rather than the lecture she intended to deliver. He gave a quick shake of his head.

Kurama spent much of the rest of the evening sitting at his desk observing. Hiei had left out the window much to his mother's horror. Shiori chatted at the girl who huddled on the bed. She looked so small there.

He would have to find out what skulk she was born from. It wound be nearly impossible as it was however, she couldn't tell him where she came from or if the rest of her skulk were as small as she, or if it was unique to her. He would need to speak to Hiei. On the topic of that fire demon, he needed to make his mother more aware.

"Mother." Kurama sighed once he had her attention. "Be careful around Hiei. He can be…challenging."

"He's like her, isn't he?" Her voice was soft. It was strange to her that her son knew so much about these things.

"In a way, yes." He admitted and it surprised him that she took the news with a small smile and a nod.

He could tell that she wanted to ask more. She had questions she didn't know how to word yet. Questions he didn't want to answer, that he wasn't ready to answer. How long really, could he keep her in the dark?

She already knew far more than he had ever intended her to know. Maybe it was naïve to believe he could keep his secret from her for this long. He considered if he should have left as he had planned, years ago. Overall it would have been safer for her to not have him in her life. He also wouldn't be here to help her with the little kit. With a sigh he pushed such thoughts from his head. What's done is done.

While Shiori offered to make up the couch for her son or the guest, whatever he would prefer. He turned her down. He didn't want the girl left alone.

Shortly after his mother retired for the night, Hiei reappeared in his window. The girl had fallen asleep at some point and Shiori had tucked her into his bed after frowning over the fresh bruise from Hiei's rough treatment. If she had been healthy, she wouldn't have bruised.

"Could you find any information?" the redhead asked from his desk. Hiei had some connections that rivaled even his own.

"Not yet, maybe in time." He admitted as he sat in the window.

"Mother seems to have gotten attached to her." Kurama commented, again looking to the sleeping kit in his bed. While he knew she was past maturity, even if just barely, he couldn't help seeing her as a kit.

"I thought you to be smarter than that." Hiei finally slid into the room. As much as he favored being outdoors, it smelled like rain.

"Yes. I'll have to see about moving her to Genkai's when she's stronger. Mother won't allow it sooner." He sighed, fully expecting his friend to reprimand him for bending to the wishes of his human mother.

Hiei however surprised his friend by standing near the bed, looking down at the girl.

"She doesn't look to be actively dreaming…" Kurama trailed off, knowing the smaller man would know what he was getting at.

With a sigh Hiei removed the bandana over his forehead. In the center an eye slowly opened, revealing its purple color. As all three eyes focused on the sleeping girl, the center eye began to glow. Slowly, two crimson eyes slid closed as the glow intensified.

Kurama could do nothing but watch. Hiei stood stone still over the girl.

Normally seeing into the mind of a sleeping being was easy if they were not actively dreaming. He would be sucked into the dream should she begin to dream. He had fifteen minutes between dream cycles and couldn't be sure how long ago her last dream cycle ended. In the past, a person's knowledge would be easy to tap into while in such a state.

This is not what Hiei experienced. Never had he tried to see into the minds of animals or lesser beings but he wondered if maybe this was what it would be like. Nothing seemed as it should. Her very mind was jumbled with fragments of scenes flickering before him. Their content shifted seemingly randomly.

One second a shack like home in the Makai was before him. The next second he was in a field. Next in a dungeon. Before he could get more than a glimpse he was looking at a small cake. Then a woman. Then a bed with a man calling.

It was disorienting. Hi didn't know how to control the flow of content and at no point did he hear any of thoughts he expected. She seemingly didn't have any knowledge to pick through. He knew that couldn't be true, she knew what her master expected of her, she knew to fear the man. Hiei however was left at a loss as to how he could wade through the knowledge and memories of someone who apparently didn't think or store information in the same manner as those he was used to.

With little other option, he pulled back and out of her mind.

"Nothing." He announced.

"Nothing?" Kurama asked. That couldn't be right.

While Hiei didn't particularly want to discuss his failing the condition of the girl's mind would interest him.

"She doesn't think in the same manner as us, not in defined words." Hiei hated explaining things. He wasn't as well-spoken as the fox.

"Not in defined words? Would this be a result of her not talking?" Kurama was largely talking to himself. It was fascinating. "Is it then that she thinks on concepts and imagery?"

Hiei didn't respond, something Kurama had learned to take as a positive response. The girl would have had to been mute for a long time for her basic way of thinking to change. She likely also spent a great deal of time alone, not around verbal cues. Yet she did retain the ability to understand spoken language, at least the Japanese language.

"You weren't able to find anything useful then." Again he was speaking more to himself than to Hiei.

For a while they passed the time in silence. Kurama worked at his desk, jotting notes down while trying to figure out anything he could. He listed the leashes he knew of and their characteristics. Everything was made more difficult by the fact that he hadn't spent a great deal of time in the Makai in nearly 20 years.

It didn't help that he hadn't had regular contact or association with his leash or any others in nearly 600 years. With a sigh he admitted to himself that any information he had was sorely outdated. Part of the reason he lived as long as he had was because he was separated from the fighting between leashes.

The often early and young deaths as warring groups fought for power meant that any given leash could evolve, merge or even die off fairly quickly. The true natural lifespan of a Kitsune was highly debated and largely unknown. Kurama himself couldn't remember any actually succumbing to old age. He admitted, as he eyed the blankets and pillows on the floor, that he was wasting his time.

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 _I work for reviews! And Cookies. But mainly reviews. So drop me a message and tell me what you think? I love to hear opinions and thoughts, ideas and suggestions._


	6. Chapter 5

_I'm all married up now! The cake was nommy nommy too! Woo! Sorry for the lack of update last week, my laptop DIED and is in the shop. Well it didn't die die, the fan died. And my grandmother's dog passed away Saturday morning so we have been dealing with that but all is right in the world again. My laptop should be back soon. That's great since I need it for my jewellery business in addition to my writing. I have chapter 9 started and a huge chunk of my writing will still take place at the office. To make up for missing last week's update, you get this week's early on! Woo! Downside, this is actually a really short chapter._

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Chapter 5

Kurama drifted off to sleep leaving Hiei in the nearly silent room. For a while he simply gazed out the window, watching the rain fall on the neighbor's roof. This wasn't a world he liked yet he found himself here more often than not. The pitter patter of the rain relaxed him. His mind wondered to his sister. Even now she clung to hope of finding him.

The rustling of blankets eventually pulled him from his thoughts. The girl had begun to fret in her sleep. She could have been moaning or crying out, but without the capability to vocalize the sounds it was nearly impossible to tell.

She'd entered a dream cycle and by the looks of it, her mind didn't give her a pleasant dream. Tears leaked from her closed eyes. He didn't move from his spot. Hiei simply watched her closely should she lash out at them. Though she was weak and couldn't cause them much harm she could in theory damage the house. Ever present was the possibility that her strength, little as it may be, would be amplified by her fear.

Foxes were known to bare their fangs when backed into a corner after all.

She never did wake. Rather, as her dream cycle came to an end, she settled into the bed again. Hiei's eyes however continued to be train on her, watching her as she took slow breaths. Another dream cycle came and again she wrestled with her own demons until it ended.

Nearly every cycle was the same. Hiei found himself to be curious about the girl. As far he was aware, even his dream cycles were relatively peaceful. If he were to fret like her, he would likely fall off any branch he perched on for the night.

As the first few days past, Yuki as they had taken to calling her, slowly gained strength. Shiori was quick to feed her heavier meals, richer meals that would allow her to quickly gain back the weight she was desperately lacking.

Shiori or her son, Shuuichi were always near to help her with anything she needed. Yuki's naivety delighted Shiori who still had a hard time seeing her as a mature female. Shuuichi was always checking her progress. His name confused her though. Shiori called him Shuuichi yet Hiei called him Kurama when they were alone. She wished she could ask about it.

It really didn't matter though. It's not like she could call him anything. The feeling of eyes on her pulled her from her thoughts and Yuki looked up from the bedding she had been examining as she listened to the sounds of the house.

Red eyes stared back at her. Red eyes seemed to always be staring at her. Her ear flicked to the side as she remembered her place. She had no right to look in anyone's eyes; she was a slave, an object, a toy and nothing more. Quickly she looked down at his feet, resting against the window sill. That was a safe place.

She heard Shuuichi-Kurama banging metal downstairs and could smell food cooking. She wondered what the rest of the house looked like. Her wounds had nearly healed but she didn't want to leave the safety of the bed.

Click-clack, click-clack- she could hear the shoes Shiori wore outside on the walkway outside of the house. Shiori was home. She liked Shiori. The only other women she had known were also slaves. She had never known a free woman, without a master. Yuki wondered if she could be like Shiori someday.

Hiei snorted from his place, as if he knew what she was thinking. Sometimes she wondered if he could read her mind. Maybe he was just smart. Maybe he had slaves before and knew how they thought. She couldn't imagine what sort of master he would be. It really was a waste of time to think about being like Shiori anyway. She knew she would never be free. Master would come for her.

"I'm home." Shiori called as the door closed behind her.

"Welcome home, Mother." She could hear Shuuichi-Kurama's response.

Yuki could hear Shiori's steps as she made her way up the stairs. Something crinkled as well. Shuuichi-Kurama fallowed behind, asking her about her day. They made small talk as they approached the room.

"And how have you been, Little Yuki?" Shiori asked as she opened the door with a smile. Yuki gave a few twitches of her ear and a swish of her tail. It was enough of an answer for Shiori who came and sat in front of the bed.

"She's eaten well today and seems to have put on some weight even." Kurama-Shuuichi answered for her.

"I got you something, I'm sure you would look adorable in it." Shiori announced as she pulled out a sundress from her paper bag.

Shiori was quick to shoo her son from the room. With a sigh he nodded for Hiei to fallow him out. His mother surely wouldn't allow one of them to remain in the room as she dressed the girl.

"Getting brave." Yuki could hear the smaller man comment through the door. She didn't hear the response as her attention was drawn back to Shiori.

"You can't keep wearing nightshirts dear." The woman announced. "Take that off."

Yuki never took more than two steps away from the bed and often used a hand on the nightstand to regain her balance. She swayed a lot on her feet. It had been a long while since she had really stood.

While Yuki made slow work of the buttons on the shirt, Shiori set to work taking the tags off the dress. She also pulled a bra out of the bag. Yuki knew what it was; sometimes her master would dress her in much smaller bras.

"Do you know how to put this on?" Shiori asked. Yuki signaled no. Master had always done it. He had always been the one to dress her when he was pleased with her. When he was angry though, the other slaves had to dress her if it was required. They wouldn't always be so nice about it.

Shiori made quick work of dressing her in undergarments. They covered more than most of what her master would allow her to wear. They were also much more comfortable, free from the scratchy lace many of her Master's featured.

Shiori was smiling wide as she stood back and looked at the girl. She had more color in her now, though she was still pale. It was also easy to see she had already begun to fill out. Once she was moving more and developed some muscle mass, she would be a stunning little lady.

"Arms up." Shiori commanded, as one would a child while raising her own arms up over her head in deminstration.

Yuki was so short that Shiori had no trouble at all slipping the dress over her arms. With a few soft tugs she was able to guide the dress down past the girl's shoulders. The dress was loose fitting and once the fabric was past her head and shoulders gravity was able to do the rest of the work.

The fabric glided down her in a soft swish. Thin arms fell and hung loosely at Yuki's sides for a moment before she clasped them in front of her chest. The fabric was soft against her skin. Softer than anything she wore before.

Shiori was behind her in a second, tying the shiny green ribbon that had been sown to the front of the dress around her waist. Once she was happy with the size of the bow she moved on to freeing the girl's tail.

With a paring knife from the kitchen she set to work. Shiori had slipped her hand up the back of the girl's dress and found where the base of her tail met her back. Her panties bunched a bit under the tail but Shiori would worry about finding a better fitting style later. She used her hand to shield the girl's tail and slowly began cutting a slit in the fabric.

She kept her knives sharp and with one wrong move as she pulled the knife from the fabric, nicked her finger. Shiori let out a gasp as she pulled her hand out from under the dress and examined the cut.

The door opened and her son came rushing in. Hiei trailed a step behind.

"What happened?" He demanded, having had smelt the blood. He trusted the little kit and now…

The girl stumbled and fell to the ground next to Shiori with wide eyes. She didn't want the man to be angry at her. She didn't know what she did but she didn't want him to hurt her. It was nice, not having anyone hurting her. Her arms went over her head and her slender fingers dug into her hair. Please, don't hit her ears. She always hated it when her ears would be hurt.

Shiori's motherly nature kicked into gear. She could tell for whatever reason her son was angry and she put herself between the young men and the girl. It had been obvious to her that they didn't trust the girl over the last few days.

"I just cut myself, Shuuichi." She held her hand out to show him. She hadn't seen him angry since he was a boy. "I was just making room for her tail in the dress." She continued.

Kurama eyed the cut, then his mother.

"She didn't hurt you?" He knelt in front of her, taking her hand in his for a closer look. It was just a small cut on her palm, nothing serious. It didn't look to be caused with neither claw nor fang.

"I don't think she would hurt a fly." Shiori confirmed, still keeping herself between her son and the small girl.

Shiori could feel the girl's small legs shaking against her back but only turned to see to the girl once she was sure her son had calmed.


	7. Chapter 6

_Hello! Thank you all for the reviews and best wishes! Laptop's still in the shop. Sad faces. BUT! I have chapter 9 finished so somehow I am getting a lot of writing done even though its CRAZY busy at work. We have about 110 active assignments right now. It is CRAZY! We didn't hit 100 till end of June last year. I'm also hitting my 2 year mark at this job. \o/ Woot woot!_

 _I also need to start planning my daughter's 3 year birthday party for first week of June! Goodness, almost 3 already?!_

 _Please keep the reviews coming! I would LOVE to hear what you think of this chapter!_

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Chapter 6

Yuki fallowed exactly two steps behind Shiori as the older woman showed her through the house. It wasn't large, unlike what she was accustomed to. Shuuichi-Kurama walked close to Shiori and offered tidbits here and there as they toured the house.

She could feel eyes on her as they walked. Every time she looked back, Hiei's eyes were trained on her. She couldn't hear him walk. She couldn't hear him move. Yet he was always behind her, at the end of the hall or at the top of the stairs, leaning against the wall. She could swear should Master ask of her, that he wasn't fallowing them. Yet he was always there, in the distance, against a wall behind them watching her.

"Sit, sit and Shuuichi and I will bring dinner out." Shiori patted at the chair.

Yuki had never gotten to eat at a table before, but she sat just the same. Always do as you are told. Always obey. It was instilled in her from nearly as far back as she could remember. Being obedient pleased Master and pleasing Master was good. It meant less pain. Never was she free of pain, no pain didn't happen much anymore, until she woke up with these people.

Dishes clattered in the kitchen. She could hear Shiori's soft voice. Shuuichi-Kurama's smooth voice fallowed. She couldn't make out the words. It didn't matter much. Yuki realized she liked these people. She liked the name they gave her. She liked the warmth Shiori offered.

Even the red eyed Hiei, who seemed to always be keeping watch, she liked even him. Never had they hurt her, at least not intentionally. Yes, it hurt when Shiori pulled her tail through the dress, but only a little. Hiei, though intimidating, hadn't even hurt her when he forced her neck up to show her scar.

That's right, her scar. She wasn't like them. She wasn't free. She had no business looking around this place or looking back to see if red eyes watched her. She had no business looking at those eyes; at any of their eyes. Though she wanted to stay here, Master would come for her.

Hiei watched as her slender fingers twisted into the fabric of her dress. If she wasn't careful her claws would catch and rip the material, even in their weakened and dull state. He tried to listen into her mind but found it to be little more than a buzz of blurring images and vague concepts.

He could tell the moment her mind went to her past. Her ears dropped and she looked down at the table. He could feel, just the slightest bit, the shift in her emotions. It surprised him. Never had he felt the emotions of another. Maybe an unexpected side effect of the increased focus he gave to trying to read her thoughts. Time would tell.

Plates, platters and bowls soon were brought out with a flourish. Rice, soups, sauces, fish and salad soon filled the center of the table. The room filled with the clatter of dishes and clicking of chopsticks as Shiori dished out various foods, aided by her son.

"You too! Come and eat with us!" She called to Hiei who was leaning against a wall in the dark hallway.

He raised an eyebrow to the woman but remained as he was.

"Yes, Hiei, come sit with us?" Shuuichi-Kurama coxed with a sly smile.

It wasn't lost on Kurama how uncomfortable his friend had been being cooped up in the house for nearly a week now. It was amazing to him how well Hiei had managed to handle the offers of food and attempts at socializing Shiori made.

Hiei had largely ignored Shiori. To his credit, he didn't growl, snarl or snap at the woman. He managed to limit himself to small sarcastic comments and sometimes slightly rude responses. Kurama would owe him greatly later, of that there was no doubt.

With a sigh Hiei closed his red eyes and pushed himself off the wall. He knew that damned Fox was enjoying the subtle torture the last week had been to him. Male foxes could be amazingly cruel in the most subtle ways.

With a huff he dropped into the chair next to the little vixen. Her golden eyes flicked to his before quickly looking away, back down at the table. Her gaze was always fleeting, he noticed, whenever it trained on one of them. She would look at Shiori a bit longer but even then, her eyes often turned downward.

For a short while, they all ate while Shiori asked questions of their work. Hiei realized Kurama had told her that he was a friend from work. It was easiest for Hiei to ignore the woman's questions and respond with grunts when necessary. Kurama was quick to invent stories and twist facts in order to make his job appear safer than it was.

Yuki listened on as her stomach grumbled. She hadn't picked her hands up from her lap. She hadn't eaten a bite of the food set before her. It wasn't that she wasn't hungry, she was. Rather, she wasn't sure if she was allowed to eat it. In all her time in this house, she had always taken meals in the room with the bed.

Master always had her take her meals alone as well. Sometimes, she would be forced to sit and watch him and his guests eat, but she hadn't eaten in the same room as Master since she was young. It had been a good while.

"Eat, if you're so damn hungry." Hiei suddenly snapped.

Yuki's eyes snapped to him, wide. Her stomach hadn't rumbled that loudly, did it? Surely it didn't. But then, how did he know?

He looked back at her with intense red eyes. She could feel the others eyes on her as well. The room fell silent for a moment.

"Dear-" Shiori started to speak but was silenced by her son's hand on her shoulder.

Hiei snatched up Yuki's chopsticks from the table and grabbed a small bit of rice out of her rice bowl. He didn't hesitate as he shoved the rice between yuki's slightly parted petal pink lips. Some rice fell into her lap as she wasn't prepared to take a bite.

His hands were warm. She wondered if it was the because of what type of demon he was or if he had fever. Yuki had known some other slaves whose body temperatures differed from her own due to what they were. She knew he was a small man, compared to his friend and the men she had been around in the past. His hand however felt large on her arm. His grip was firm, but he didn't hurt her. She could feel the calluses on his palm.

Like the rest of the table, she was shocked by Hiei's actions. He reached across her and grabbed her right wrist, pulling her arm up and forced the chopsticks into her hand. He roughly closed her fingers around the wooden sticks and shoved her hand toward the food to the point that the tips of the stick nearly knocked the rice bowl over.

"Eat." He again ordered as he picked up his rice bowl and chopsticks and began eating again, in a somewhat aggressive fashion.

And eat she did, slowly at first. The table again was consumed with Shiori's chatter. Every so often she would ask Yuki if she liked whatever dish she happened to be nibbling on or if she wanted more of anything. Yuki answered the best she could with nods of her head. A few times she stole quick glances at the man sitting next to her.

Kurama ate slowly, thoughtfully. The sly smile on his face didn't go unnoticed by Hiei. Suddenly he stood from the table and left the room, not sparing a glance back.

"Hiei?" Kurama called after him, stifling a chuckle. He had managed to get under his friend's skin without saying a word, it seemed.

"I'll be back, damnit." He barked back before the door shut.

Yuki watched with her ear cocked to the side as Kurama-Shuuichi chuckled freely to himself. Did she do something wrong? Pale eyes went to her hands again.

"It's not you." Kurama's soothing voice offered, causing her to look at him for a moment. "Hiei just needs some space."

"He was rough with you, I'm sorry." Shiori offered as she reached over the table to take Yuki's arm to examine her wrist.

Yuki wished she could tell her that he wasn't rough at all, that he didn't hurt her.

Kurama remained silent, lost in his thoughts. It was unlike Hiei to act in such a manner. It would be interesting to see if he repeats similar behavior near this little mute vixen.


	8. Chapter 7

_Hi! I didn't forget about this weeks posting, don't worry! Gosh, so busy at the office that I had to come in on a Sat! Ugh, another 6 day week. But at least I have the place all to myself and can blast Jpop without anyone caring, woot!_

 _Tinakay, Misslini Big thank you for your reviews. ElectroGirl88, welcome! Thank you for your review!_

 _Mother Ammy! Thank you for the nice long review. I love to hear other's thoughts on the story, I really do. Yuki being mute really gives me a reason to spend so much time with her emotions as in so many ways that is all she has. I messaged you but I'm going to elaborate a bit here too, so I hope you don't mind. How being mute affects Yuki has a lot to do with the length of time she has been without voice. When you or I think consciously, often we process those thoughts in a 'worded' manner. Yuki has been mute for so long that coupled with the neglect and abuse that at this time has only been hinted at, she has lost that. Where Hiei could do a mental search for 'master' in the mind of another, he can't do that for her because her brain doesn't file her Master under the term 'master', rather it would be filed under his appearance and sound alone- things Hiei doesn't know and thus can't search for. Searching for memories of someone who gives pain would work in theory but if more than one person has given her pain, he wouldn't get a single result._

 _Its like going to Google and looking for a picture of the comet and only being allowed to search under 'sky lights' or 'lights in the sky', your going to get a lot of unrelated information that does technically fall under your search because you don't know or can't use that keyword to get the most accurate answer. Add in that I'm limiting Hiei's mind reading and searching abilities a lot compared to how some others choose to portray them._

 _Hope that makes sense._

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Chapter Seven

After dinner, Shiori settled little Yuki on the couch and showed her the wonders of the television under her son's watchful eye. It unsettled Shiori that he kept such close watch, as if the girl was a wild animal in disguise. It occurred to her however, that maybe that was the case. Shuuichi seemed to know more about creatures like little Yuki than Shiori could fathom.

The moving pictures and sounds coming from the box in the living room fascinated Yuki. Her ears twitched with delight as people played harmless pranks on each other while laughter filled her ears. The scene changed flashing text as someone began trying to convince watchers to buy their products. A few short minutes later it changed again.

This next commercial showed a preview of a documentary on foxes. Small kits ran and tackled each other. Yuki ignored the voice over and watched the happy little creatures, so similar to herself yet so different. She wished she could be like them.

They were free. They looked happy. At the very least, she could be happy watching them. Her ears twitched and tail swayed as she smiled at the screen she sat in front of. Behind her, Shiori smiled to her son.

Yuki's limited strength and undernourishment meant that she still slept a great deal while her body recovered and built itself back up. At around seven she was ushered into the bedroom that still smelled strongly of Shuuichi.

Shiori was gentle in helping her undress and helped her into an oversized men's button up shirt. It fell nearly to her knees but was loose and comfortable just the same. To Shiori's delight, Yuki spun for her unprompted, showing off the black shirt.

"How are you doing?" Shiori asked as she pulled back the blankets.

Yuki replied with a smile as Shiori looked to her. She liked it here. If only she could stay here, with these people.

The soft click of the door opening drew both of their attention as Shuuichi entered his bedroom. Yuki offered him a small smile, not nearly as confident in her place around him as she was with Shiori. He returned the smile.

"Your friend hasn't come back?" Shiori questioned while fluffing the pillow behind where Yuki sat.

"Not yet." Hiei would return sooner or later, of that he was sure.

"I'll make up a bed on the couch for you." Shiori decreed as she pulled blankets over Yuki's lap.

"Mother?" Shuuichi was cut off however by Shiori's firm yet kind voice.

"You can't sleep in here alone with her. It wouldn't be proper." Shiori gathered up blankets and pillows from where they rest folded on the floor.

"Yes, Mother." Shuuichi sighed in defeat.

He could keep watch on the girl from downstairs. He knew the sounds his bed made. He knew the sounds of the doors opening. He knew the sounds of the house. It would only upset his mother should he argue and he wasn't so sure that the little kit posed a threat to her.

Yuki had cocked an ear to the side as she watched the mother and son as they talked. Shiori had checked that the glass of water by the bed was full and turned off the bedside lamp. Surprising Yuki, she softly kissed the kit on the forehead before leading her son out of the room.

"We will see you in the morning, goodnight." The woman called behind her before the door shut with a soft click.

Yuki pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. Being alone was something she was used to. She would often spend days at a time alone in her little cell like room before, without so much as food or water. Why did it feel so different now? Why did her chest hurt at the thought of being left alone?

It seemed colder in the room too. She wondered if the warmth came from those people, who had been caring for her throughout the week. She was tired but she didn't want to sleep. It seemed that until today, sleeping had been all she done for so long. It was easier to sleep but even her dreams didn't often spare her the pain.

There was no pain here. Even when Hiei had grabbed her, when she had displeased him by not eating, even when he corrected her, he didn't hurt her. She could clearly remember the feel of his hand. It was strong and firm. Unlike her Master whose hands were soft and smooth, his hand was rough and weathered. She wondered what sort of life he had lived.

If she stayed awake, maybe she could enjoy every second of her time here while it lasted. Maybe, if she didn't sleep she would have more time to know these people. She truly hoped that Master wouldn't hurt them when he came for her. They had taken such good care of her and hadn't used her at all. They hadn't taken what was his, so maybe he wouldn't hurt them.

For a long while, Yuki just sat in her bed and listened to the sounds of the house. She could hear Shiori talk with her son.

"He shouldn't have been so rough with her, that's all." Her soft voice drifted into Yuki's ears. Shiori was referring to Hiei's actions during dinner. Yuki rested her head on the pillow and pulled the blankets up around her.

"He restrained much of his strength; I'm rather surprised that he was as mindful as he was." Shuuichi-Kurama paused for a moment. "It was rather out of character for him to act on it at all…" his voice trailed off for a few short moments.

The rest of the conversation went unheard by Yuki however; she had drifted off to sleep against her best efforts.

Morning came swiftly in the Minamino household. Hiei had yet to make a visible appearance but could still be sensed nearby. That was good enough for Kurama, who spent his morning enjoying a simple early breakfast and set out early, waving goodbye to his mother at the door.

He had a simple goal for the morning- tracking down any information he could about little Yuki. He had given Koenma plenty of time to try and pull information since his last visit.

Shiori likewise had a busy day ahead of her. With a smile she peeked in on the sleeping Yuki before setting about making breakfast, enough for three, just in case. It was a simple meal with a western flair. Eggs sizzled in the pan as bacon popped. Bread toasted to perfection and before long, the table was set and filled with food.

"Ohayoo!" Shiori called out as she opened the bedroom door to wake Yuki. The girl flicked her fox ears at her and nuzzled deeper into the blankets. Morning had come too soon for Yuki's tastes, it appeared.

It only took Shiori a few short moments to dress Yuki in her sundress again and brush out her golden hair. It took a little getting used to but in time, Shiori was able to avoid her ears with ease. As Shiori placed the brush onto the night stand and ran her fingers through Yuki's hair one last time it occurred to her again that she was treating this woman very much as a young child again.

"Does this bother you?"Shiori asked softly, only to see the back of Yuki's left ear twitch. "That I am mothering you, I mean. If it bothers you, I'll try to stop."

Yuki turned to face the woman with a small smile on her face. She liked this woman. She liked how she treated her. She liked Shiori's fingers in her hair.

"It's okay then?" Shiori wasn't sure what the sheepish smile meant. Her question was answered when Yuki's smile blossomed and over took her whole face. The girl truly had a radiant smile.

Shiori made her way back to the kitchen with the small girl at her heels. It took only a moment to settle the small girl into a chair and plate breakfast up for her. It took much less prodding today to get Yuki to eat. Her ears twitched and tail danced in what Shiori could only assume was delight at the flavors she experienced.

"Do you like it?" She asked with a chuckle. Yuki nodded easily. It was relaxing to eat without the pressure of having to make conversation. Shiori was able to simply soak up the joys of having company.

Sadly, responsibility called to her. Shopping needed to get done, she couldn't keep sending her son out for little things before every meal and Yuki would need more clothes. She couldn't very well live in one dress and men's shirts forever.

Yuki watched as dishes were washed. She remembered a time when she did such simple tasks for Master but that was long ago when she was but a girl. With a swish of her tail she took a place beside Shiori and picked up a towel.

Shiori placed a damp dish into the drying rack and smiled to the small woman beside her. It shocked the older woman when saw pale delicate hands pluck up the plate. Her movement was sure and swift. The plate didn't click or clack against any of the other dishes.

Shiori watched as the little Yuki ran the drying cloth over the smooth surface of the plate. A small smile graced her lips. It felt good to be helping the woman that had given her so much kindness in such a short time.

With dishes done and put away Shiori set about getting ready to leave. Yuki was her ever present shadow.

"You have free run of the house dear. I'll see you when I get home." Shiori left with a smile and a wave, both gestures returned by the little Yuki.

When the door clicked closed and the lock turned, Yuki's ears and tail drooped. She didn't want to be all alone. Regardless of what she wanted, that was her reality and she would have to make the best of it. Yuki was left with no direction, no orders nor any tasks.

She was left alone in the house, away from the eyes of Master or anyone else. She was left alone. In a way, her solitude was the first true freedom she had ever had.

Her soft footsteps seemed loud in her ears due to the silence all around her. She poked her head into rooms and cabinets. Curiosity was a trait common in foxes and she was not an exception to the rule. Carefully she would run her fingers over surfaces.

All the while, unknown to her, Hiei watched through a window. Even now he was charged with watching over the useless vixen. Yet he watched her, tracked her as she moved throughout the house with unnecessary fixed attention. With each peek into her mind he would be greeted with emotions, concepts, ideas and sounds. Hardly ever did verbal thoughts seem to cross the kit's mind.

Eventually Hiei moved into the house, taking up a place leaning against the windowsill in the dining room. The Behind him was the view of the small back yard. Fenced in as it was, it offered the Minamino family some semblance of privacy in such an overcrowded country as Japan.

The open window allowed him a breath of fresh air. Indoors, he found the air to go stale far too quickly for his liking. In all of his years, he had found he was a minority in this opinion. Many, even demons, longed for grand homes full of stale air.

Yuki was surprised to round the corner and see him there. For a moment he leaned against the window with his eyes closed. She hoped she wasn't in trouble. Nothing broke; she didn't even more a thing. She watched as his eyes slowly opened, revealing their unique red color to her.

For a moment they eyed each other in silence before she quickly broke eye contact with him. Yuki wasn't sure as to what she should do. Part of her wanted to retreat to the room she had been housed in. The more seconds passed, the better that idea seemed. He probably didn't want her down here.

"Do whatever you want. I don't care." Hiei offered, seemingly knowing her unasked question.

Another moment passed before she nodded to him. Yuki didn't know what she wanted. But being given the option to do anything she wanted was new to her. For another short moment she examined her feet.

She took a deep breath. She could see the light from the window shift as he moved, leaning more weight on the frame and blocking less of the window. The breeze filtered in, messing her fine hair and filling her nose with its freshness.

She knew, just a little bit, what the world of demons was like. She knew the stench of the air and the darkness that often wasn't chased away up the light of day. She had also known in passing the light of a day in the world of humans.

Never had she had been given a chance to truly feel it, to know it. The air smelled good. It carried much of the smells of pollution, chemicals and smoke that stank but under all of that, it smelled good.

Under Hiei's harsh gaze, she approached one timid step at a time. Since she first woke, since she tried to please Shuuichi-Kurama, she hadn't actually approached any of them on her own. A soft hand or voice always guided her, told her where they wanted her to be. If they didn't, she stayed in Kurama's bed.

She could feel his eyes on her. Yet she didn't look at him. Each step she watched her feet take brought her closer to the window; to him. Hiei was aware of the nervous buzz in her mind; he could feel her emotions pulled taught as if they were a cord.

Soon she was just a short two feet away from him and the window. It occurred to him that if he left or even just moved away from the window she would feel better. Making her feel better however, wouldn't show her that she was free to do as she pleased.

Hiei took in her anxious face, the twitch of her tail and her ears pulled back. Her eyes were downcast. Then he gave her all he was willing to give. He looked away, out the window. It took some shifting of his body. He knew that she would take it as permission, but that didn't matter. In a way, she had told him what she wanted.

It was a start.

Not that Hiei cared.


	9. Chapter 8

_Oi, I had the week from hell, I'll tell you. Back Worked an hour late every night this week and am coming in on Sat too. So sad. I can't wait till the office manager gets back. *sigh* Up to 30 reviews already on this story- pretty darn spiffy! You all are the best! 3 My laptop is STILL down for repairs. I have started chapter 11 but with the crazy at work I don't know if the posting will get caught up to my writing or not. Gosh, I hope to stay ahead of the game._

 _Mikila94, good to see you still reading! Thanks for the review again 3_

 _TiaKay, MissLini, NightlyRowenTree- good to see you, thank all for your continued support._

 _Electrogirl88- thank you for your review! You think I managed to keep everyone in character?! Haha I agonize over that, you have no idea. I know Kurama pretty darn well if I do say so, I worked it him a lot in my last story and BOY did he trouble me for a long time- stalled the story out for a few months even! I worry about the same happening with Hiei- he is so difficult but... I think I'm getting him okay._

 _.3- welcome to the party!_

 _Reviews make me smile!_

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Chapter 8

Yuki took a deep breath of somewhat fresh air as she leaned out on the windowsill. The sun felt good on her face. The breeze ruffled her bangs and caused strands of her hair to dance around her. Birds chirped and tweeted from the trees.

As she watched the scurry of a small brown creature she smiled. That little creature was free to do whatever it wanted. It could go wherever it wanted. She wondered what it was like.

Hiei watched her intently. With her so close to him, it was easier to read her. He could match twitches of her ears and tail to facial expressions. She was starting to become such an expressive creature. All these things he could use as clues to decipher her thoughts.

"It's better away from town." Hiei spoke absentmindedly, turning to look out the window over her head. It occurred to him for the first time that he was actually taller than the kit. She was indeed ridiculously, comically even, smaller than the average vixen.

While Hiei stood unusually close to the little vixen given the name 'Yuki', Shiori was finishing up her produce shopping. With the way her feet ached, she would think she had been all over the greater Tokyo metropolitan area, rather than just two wards over. It didn't matter to her though, she had found great deals on clothes for little Yuki.

Shiori didn't know what foods little Yuki liked, or had even tried. It was safe to assume however, that she hadn't had many things. Judging by how thin the girl was when Shiori first found her, it was likely the girl had been lucky to receive bread, rice or water.

Shiori didn't know what they would do with the girl. Surely she could convince her husband to allow her to stay with them, until she could go to wherever fox people lived on her own. It was sad, really, to think about how soon that could be. Yuki was getting stronger every day. Maybe Shuuichi would even know where her kind lives.

But if Yuki left, maybe someone would lock her up again. It was silly but Shiori had grown attached to the little fox girl as if she was the daughter she had never had.

Such thoughts rolled through her head as she picked out berries and fruits. There wasn't any sense in worrying about the 'what if's that could happen. Right now, she would just have to enjoy her time with Yuki and make the girl as happy as she could be.

The sun was warm on her back as she walked through the busy streets. It was nice to be out of the house. As much as she enjoyed her time with her son caring for their guest, she hadn't spent a whole lot of time out since she found her.

Shiori hummed a soft tune as she turned into the park. It was the very same park where she had found little Yuki. Her mind drifted as she walked. Shiori wasn't really paying attention to what was around her, otherwise she would have noticed the man in a slightly too large suit .

There were few others in the park, but the man approached each person, small slip of paper in hand and spoke softly to them. Shiori wouldn't have been able to make out the words, even if she had been aware enough to try.

It surprised her when he approached her. His face was hard, as if he had seen a long life of difficulty beyond his years. Dirty blonde hair, it was closer to a light brown really, shifted in the wind. It was just long enough to have some movement to it, yet still short and professional.

"Ma'am?" He called out to her as he stepped nearly in her path. "Could you spare me just a moment?"

"Of course." Shiori had been approached by missionaries in the past, spreading the word of their deity. This man didn't look like a missionary, though he wore a poorly fitted suit just as they often did.

"I was looking for someone, she got lost. Maybe you have seen her?" He raked his fingers through his hair and attempted to look worried.

"Oh?" Shiori shifted her weight from one foot to another. Just behind the man she could see the bushes she had found Yuki near.

"She's really very small. Blonde hair and light eyes. Does that sound like someone you have seen around here?" Siori could see his eyes, hard as stone behind his dark sunglasses.

"Small children run through here all the time…" He couldn't be looking for Yuki, could he?

"She's not a child, though her…" He paused for a moment before continuing again, "Father is looking for her."

"I do hope her father finds her soon. It is a dangerous world."

"Maybe, if I showed you a picture of her?" He pulled out a slip of paper. On it, Yuki looked back at the camera. Little of her body was captured in the shot but one could clearly see she was thinner than she should be. Over her head was a cloth that draped down her back. Her ears were covered, though the bulge under the fabric told Shiori that they were present. She couldn't tell what the Yuki wore, of for certain that she wore anything at all in the picture.

"Have you seen this girl?" He was watching her closely, Shiori could feel the weight of his gaze.

"Never." Her voice nearly caught in her throat. She needed to cover for that. "She's beautiful."

"Yes, well." The man put the picture back in his pocket and pulled out a business card. "Should you see her, please notify us right away."

"Of course." She had no choice but to take the card.

"Thank you for your time, Ma'am." He took a step back and bowed deeply to her.

"It is no trouble at all." Shiori offered a bow in return before heading off on her way.

After she put some distance between her and the man, she glanced back over her shoulder. He stood in the center of the path, watching her go. He didn't look to have approached anyone else since her. He didn't look to intend to approach anyone else after her.

She swallowed thickly and held her bags just a bit tighter. As she rounded the bend, she walked a little faster. It felt like he was following her. As she exited the park and her low heels clicked on the sidewalk with each hurried step she took. Another glance back, he wasn't following her.

Shiori took that as permission to rush home, just a little bit faster. She was nearly jogging when she rounded the corner and her small home fell into sight, as did her son's bright mass of red hair.

Hearing the hurried click clack of his mother's shoes paired with her somewhat heavy breathing, Kurama stopped and gave her his attention before she had a chance to call out to him. Something clearly had her spooked and he was of a mind to find out what.

"Mother?" He swiftly walked to meet her and take the bags from her hands. "Is everything alright?"

Rather than looking at her, she was clearly fine, he looked around them. Over her head and down the street, in the trees and in the windows of nearby houses, he looked but nothing seemed out of place. His attention was drawn back to her when she clutched at his arm.

"Let's hurry inside?" She asked, looking again over her shoulder for what felt like the hundredth time. Still, no one was there. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves.

"Okay." Kurama guided his human mother up to the house, holding all of her bags in one hand and resting the other on her shoulder. Inside their home would be much safer than being out in the open, while he figured out just what was going on.

Yuki was quick to peek her head into the living room when she heard the door open. She watched with wide eyes as Kurama all but rushed Shiori into the house and followed close after. As soon as the door clicked shut, Shiori was locking it.

Yuki's excitement to see the others home died as a small ball of dread gathered in the pit of her stomach. Something was wrong.

"Mother, what is wrong?" Kurama asked, giving voice to the question Yuki couldn't ask. Her ears twitched slightly, not wanting to miss the slightest sound.

"A man, in the park." Shiori gulped air for a few moments before her breathing slowed some.

"Did he hurt you?" Kurama was looking her over for any signs of injury, though he wouldn't have missed when he saw her on the street.

"No. I'm fine." She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder as she finally moved away from the locked door. Kurama decided to swallow his panic and remain silent and let her speak. Yuki followed her closely as she went into the kitchen.

"He was looking for her. For Yuki. He had a picture of her even. Shuuichi, he said her father was looking for her?" Shiori didn't know what to do. From Yuki's condition when she was found, Shiori didn't expect anyone to come looking for the girl.

"What did the man look like?" Kurama asked.

Shiori gave every detail she could, down to the brand of sunglasses the man wore. Her son looked troubled.

"You should just let him have her." Hiei commented offhandedly. "By law, she probably belongs to them anyway."

Yuki couldn't say she disagreed. She didn't want to leave these people, but she didn't want them to get hurt. Master hurts people when he is angry. Tears gathered in her eyes for the first time in a long time but she quickly blinked them away. She knew Master would come for her. She should be happy. She would be going home.

Yuki didn't want to go home.

Shiori gave Hiei a look of pure shock. How could he say such a thing? She heard her son sigh. No, it couldn't be legal for someone to keep another as a slave. The world had largely moved past that, right?

"It depends." Shiori's attention went to her son. How could it depend? "If she was taken as an adult, if she traded her life to pay off debts her slavery would be legal."

"That's barbaric.." Shiori whispered. How could he know such things?

"I don't think that's the case, however. She's too well trained, too young and simply too small." Kurama hated having this world around his mother. He hated the horror on her face from their discussion. As he spoke, he made his way to the kitchen and sat down in a chair.

"Never have I seen a vixen as small as her." He admitted. "Some are small, yes. But she is beyond small for a vixen. I've known Kits bigger than her." Kurama would forever be thankful for all the questions his mother didn't ask.

"Shuuichi, what if they find her?" Shiori was making a pot of tea now. The drink was very much needed to calm her nerves. She hoped it would do the same for her son. "We can't let them take her back… She was nearly dead when I found her!"

Behind her back, Kurama pinched the bridge of his nose. This wasn't a problem he wanted nor needed right now. Just when they could have had essentially peace, his mother had to bring a vixen slave home and get attached.

"We will do what we can Mother." Kurama sighed in defeat.

His mental 'to do' list seemed to grow to be a mile long. He needed to find somewhere else for Yuki to stay. On top of that, he had to convince Shiori to allow her to stay somewhere else. Add in finding out who Yuki belonged to and the conditions of her slavery. Shiori wouldn't be happy unless he secured Yuki's freedom and that was a task he couldn't even promise her unless she was an illegal slave. Even then, it could be cheaper to just buy her from her Master.

What he did know was she couldn't continue to stay here and he didn't want the house left defenseless. It seems Hiei wouldn't be the only friend he would be forced to drag into this interesting little mess. It simply wouldn't be possible for him to watch over his mother, the house and look for information, should Shiori decide to go shopping.

Another thing to do.


	10. Chapter 9

_So Hey! Erm, sorry for dropping off the face of the earth. Wedding, than prepping for a violin competition had me really derailed. All that in addition to working full time, having a business and a toddler, my gosh, I'm insane! Plus we move in October. Oy. Probably wont update more than once a month for a bit but I'll try for more. Forgive me?_

 _Thank you so much to all the amazing reviewers! You guys make my day!_

 _Fair warning- Shit gets DARK here for a bit in this chapter. Anyone who had read my other work knows that I do not joke when I say 'dark'. This story is rated M due to adult themes and mature content including abuse, rape and sexual assault. Things will get dark again in chapter 12. This story as a whole deals with dark themes. Please discontinue reading if this bothers you. While I will miss those readers who choose to go, I would hate to cause anyone any mental harm._

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~Chapter 9~

A tall man with a full head of dark black hair stood behind an imposing desk made with the finest cherry wood and only the highest quality of craftsmanship. It was sturdy and solid, a desk able to withstand years of use. It had served him well for many years. It served him well today.

He leaned down, his large hand closing around the throat of the man sprawled on the desk. The contrast between the hint of olive tone in his hand and his employee's pale throat was pleasing to the man. The employee's blonde hair was disheveled, not that it was ever well styled. The man on the desk wasn't well kept. His suit was wrinkled from the day's activities.

Being punched a few times by his employer may have added to the mess that was his appearance. Blood trailed down from the corner of his mouth and his nose. His blue eyes had a hard time focusing on the man looming over him. The bright sunshine pouring in through the large windows behind him didn't seem to help. His sunglasses lay discarded on the floor near the door, long forgotten for now.

Lack of oxygen probably played a role in his inability to focus as well. As black began to invade his vision his employer finally allowed him to breathe again. The man above him stood up straight and looked down at his employee with cold brown eyes.

"You didn't find her, fine. What did you find?" His deep voice reverberated throughout the room, yet he didn't raise his voice.

"Tadashi-sama." The blonde man gasped for air as he attempted to pull himself upright.

Tadashi didn't look as if he had nearly strangled one of his most trusted employees. His suite was still straight and largely unwrinkled.

"Talk fast." The order was a warning.

"There was a woman!" Yohishi spoke quickly, not wanting to feel his employer's fists again. "She seemed to recognize the picture of your lost Pet though she claimed to not have seen her before. I lost track of her in on the street however."

For a moment, Tadashi was silent. Yohishi feared he would be struck again. By all rights he should have been able to fallow the woman. She shouldn't have slipped out of his sights when by all accounts she seemed normal enough. Just a weak simple human woman, much like his mother had been.

He didn't want to admit that he lost sight of her as he was distracted by a pretty young girl in a short summer dress. He was a man after all and the sight of her long legs in the sunshine grabbed his attention just long enough.

Yohishi would have to find that distracting woman and make her pay for the pain he received from Tadashi-sama. Yes, it was only fair.

"Find the woman. She may be the key to finding my Pet. Humans are finicky though, continue searching elsewhere as well." Tadashi hated how human memory so often was faulty.

Yohishi was so often a poor choice to information gathering in Asian countries but he had little choice. At least Yohishi was always eager to please.

Other members of Tadashi's staff were busy with the task of hunting down the trusted client who he loaned his favorite Pet to. That client would suffer much pain for attempting to steal her from him. He would die for his actions, as soon as they got their hands on him.

Yohishi knew when his presence was no longer needed or wanted. It hurt to move. He was sure a few ribs were at least bruised. One for sure was broken. It hurt to breath. It would hurt more to hesitate for even a moment however, and remain longer than needed.

Yohishi scrambled out of the office, scooping up his sunglasses on the way. Before he could do anything, he would have to have the in house physician take a look at his ribs. He couldn't comfortably do anything until that was addressed.

Tadashi remained standing, watching as the door clicked behind Yohishi's back. For a moment, electricity sizzled and snapped around him. The monitor on his desk flickered and went black for a moment as the purple lines of power arced so near.

He was beyond angry. For a client to have the nerve to betray him and take what was his was unheard of. To further attempt to discard his Pet while attempting to escape was insult to injury. She was his favorite. She was his best. The others were good, yes and served their clients well but she, she was raised to serve.

With a snap, the electricity around him suddenly died. The monitor flicked back to life. He needed to calm his head. For that, he needed to visit the others.

It took him little time at all to make his way to the sub-basement area of his home. This was but one of his many estates, though the only one he kept in the human world. Maintaining his business was trickier in many ways in the realm of humans, yet the payout was often many times better.

For the safety of his business, many of his pets were taken from Makai. Humans tended to care so much when one of their own went missing. Such was rarely the case for demons, death was common for their kind and so their world turned on.

As he approached the heavy steel door he could faintly hear it, the sound of whimpering. As he passed beyond the first set of heavy doors, it was easy enough to tell where the sound was coming from. Each side of the hall was lined with many doors, each made of wood and carved with detailed inlays. Some doors depicted woodlands, others lands of ice. Each door gave a hint at the nature of the room it granted entry to.

The hall ended in a second set of heavy doors, again made of steel. His steps sounded soft against the fine wooden floor. The wooden doors closer to this end of the hall depicted scenes of torture devices and fearful fire, it was clear to see that these rooms were the least pleasant inside.

Tadashi had passed the door with the whimpering woman hidden inside. At times, he could hear the laughter of the client inside with her. It had brought a smile to his face. A happy client was a return client. His business offered clients complete release in a way their wives often could not. Discretion was a must and his business offered it in any number of ways. He alone knew the faces of every one of his clients, for security measures of course. All human clients knew that he knew who they were. When you had something as sensitive as their sexual perversions, humans tended to avoid crossing him.

On occasion however, demons would cross the line, as was the case now. None had ever been so bold as to take his most precious Pet. Yes, this betrayal could not ignored nor taken lightly. He would pay. He would pay with everything he has, everything he holds dear. Then, once Tadashi had taken everything he could from this traitor he would take his very life.

But first, he needed to relax. It would do him good to let off some steam. None here would offer him the same service his Pet did, but it would do. It would be good enough. It would last him. It was, after all, just a matter of time until he had her back.

Inside the second set of doors was another long hallway. The floor beyond this done was bare concrete. It allowed for easy cleaning, though the ground was stained in many places. The floor ever so slightly curved up, raising the center of the hall a short inch above the floor farthest away. It allowed him and clients a nearly dry pathway to walk along, even during cleaning.

To both sides of the hall were the faces of all the cells. Each sell was barred in the front and on each side the wall rose to just below Tadashi's waist. From the top of the wall, bars rose to the ceiling. In reality the bars extended down through the wall and were secured below the concrete deep in the floors.

In many of the cells women cowered as he walked slowly passed. Most of the women were demons of various kinds. Most were fairly young. All were thin and malnourished. All were naked.

A few cells stood empty. They housed pets out on loan or who had been sold. In a short time, occupant would be replaced. No women looked at him. None were brave enough too. Each huddled deeper into the shadows of their cell, not wanting to draw his attention to him.

On the floor of one cell a woman lay dead in a puddle of her vomit. He made a note to himself to have her disposed of. A client was likely too rough with her and caused damage to the brain. It didn't matter. She would be replaced.

At the end of the hall was a larger cell, just over twice the size of all the rest. He looked inside, though the bars. The cot was much the same as all the rest, however it was larger and stuffed with more straw. A pipe poked into the room and drizzled water onto the floor in a thin stream. Unlike the rest of the cells, the bucket meant to contain bodily waste was lidded. The center of the room held a low table and a dirty cushion to sit on. The room stood empty.

These were the luxuries he granted his most favored Pet. It was beneficial to be his favorite. Even after she began to grow into a woman, even when she grew rebellious, she was always his favorite. Yet she was not here.

With a sigh he turned from her cell and began again walking through the hall. Frightened eyes watched him from cells. Others hardly acknowledged his presence, choosing rather to continue staring off at the walls.

"You." He called, pointing inside a cell to his left. Inside, under the cot was a small fire demon. Her hair was black as pitch and her eyes were a light red, nearly pink really.

Without a moment of hesitation she scrambled out from where she was hiding and stood on her too thin legs in front of the cell door. She made no effort to cover herself or otherwise hide her nakedness.

"How may I have the pleasure of pleasing you, Master?" She asked with a deep bow.

"Come, Pet." Tadashi unlocked the cell and began walking the rest of the length of the hall.

She followed just two steps behind him, head bowed and watching the heels of his fine leather shoes. If she had her strength still, she would have considered running. If she had her mind still, she would have killed herself. But she had neither and so she did as she was told, nothing more and not a fraction less.

She stopped when he did. She didn't look up at the door he had chosen. Normally he would take pets to his private chambers unless he wished to make use of the props and items found in these more specialized rooms.

She did not look up when the door opened, nor did she react to the cold air that swept over her. When Master began to enter the room she followed, again two steps behind the man. Behind her, the door latched shut and softly, she could hear the auto lock engage. Only the man who entered the room could open it again.

Tadashi, known to all the slaves as simply 'Master' discarded his suit jacket and stood waiting, looking expectantly at his pet.

She shivered for a moment but quickly suppressed the action as she got on her knees before her Master. With a practiced skill, she undid her Master's belt and unfastened his trousers without so much as touching him with a finger. At his command, she pleased him the best she cold as the cold seeped into her, slowly stealing what little strength she had.

Once he had had enough of her mouth, he spilled his seed on her. The cold air quickly stole all warmth from it and she shivered again as the substance began to freeze on her. He slapped her with a heavy had for the simple act of shivering. His now cold seed burned into her chest, face and abdomen.

She made no effort to block the strike and remained where she landed on the ground, only to receive a sharp kick. In an ice chest on the wall was various instruments and sexual toys, all kept well below freezing and some made entirely of ice. The fire demon watched as her Master made his way to the chest.

Fire demons had an amazing resistance to cold. Yet, in a weakened state, they were incredibly sensitive to cold. Ice would feel like a cold fire against a weakened fire demon and frostbite was quick to occur. Tadashi always found this fascinating and made sure to have a few fire demons in his collection of pets.

That evening, Tadashi got his release many times over. He used his pet for all that she had to offer. She never cried, though her screams when ice was introduced to her most hidden places gave him great joy. He would make the client who took his most favored Pet pay, just as this little pet was paying for his frustrations. He would make any who sheltered her pay. But for now, this little demon would suffer his wrath so that he could think clearly again, if even for a short time.

It took her into the night to die. She had begged to be allowed to live at first. She made promises to please Master better. Yet in the end, she did not defend herself. Her pleading was silenced by his order.

"Would it please you, to kill me?" Her last words were spoken with a tender softness while she was impaled between her legs on two ice pillars. She bled from cuts and from where her frozen flesh cracked and split.

"Yes." Her Master's answer was the last thing she would ever hear as her life finally slipped out of her grasp.

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 _So, we didn't get to spend any time with Yuki this chapter. How unfair after making you all wait so long! But I think this was well placed. What do you all think? Meet the bad guys!_


	11. Chapter 10

*Shamefully sneaks in and sits down at the desk* So... It has been a while hasn't it? Let me just say this- I'm sorry. I'll not make promises of regular updates but I will say this- I'm going to try. I had life come up, a broken wrist then a huge chainmaille show then moving to a new state. But things are starting to get sorted. All I can say is I'm writing again, I have a few chapters ready to post and I intend to keep writing.

Beyond that, all I can do is ask for forgiveness.

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~Chapter 10~

Yuki sat curled up at the end of the couch listening to Kurama and Shiori talk. Kurama. That was the name she decided on for him. He seemed more himself when he was called it. Not that it mattered. She couldn't speak his name. Every so often, Hiei would offer a few words in support of Kurama's plan.

The red headed man had been spending all morning trying to convince his mother to allow them to take Yuki to stay with a friend of theirs, Genkai, who would be better able to protect her. He feared greatly for Shiori's safety having Yuki in their home with someone looking for the little vixen.

It was nearly noon before she agreed. Shiori made two conditions, that she goes with to drop her little Yuki off and that she is allowed to visit. It was not the most ideal situation. Hiei was allowed to leave, with the request to notify Genkai that they would be arriving that evening.

Yuki didn't want to go. She liked it with Shiori. At least she could go outside though.

It didn't take Kurama long to pack up what few things she had, all purchased by Shiori for her, and stuff them into a small backpack. Shiori dressed her in a sundress, similar to the first and put a large brimmed hat on the girl's head.

Over her dress she wore a light sweater that nearly reached the ground. It moved as she walked and covered her tail nicely.

Yuki decided she didn't like her tail and ears covered. When she tossed the hat off, by flicking and twitching her years however, she was told she needed to wear it. With a sense of defeat, she rested her ears nearly flat against her head and suffered the hat's presence.

Outside the house was fascinating. She had ridden in cars and wagons before, but having them drive past her at such fast speeds scared her. The timid girl spent much of their trip clutching one of her guardians. While Shiori was a comfort and Kurama was even more so, Yuki found herself wishing the red eyed Hiei was nearby.

He was nowhere to be seen. So Yuki had to be happy with what she had. As they rode on the train, Yuki kept the sleeve of Kurama's shit pinched tight in her hands. Kurama had noticed her eyes nearly always were downcast.

"You are safe." He whispered, leaning down toward her.

Behind him, he was aware of school a few old classmates snapping pictures of them and whispering. In their eyes, it seemed to great Suuichi had finally found a girl. Even now, in many of their eyes he was untouchable, the man they all longed for and lusted after yet couldn't ever possess. He paid them no mind, even when Shiori mentioned spotting what she rightfully thought was some of his old classmates.

Yuki offered a small smile at Kurama's words. She was safe with them. She tried to look around more, after that.

It took a train and a bus to bring the small group to the edge of Genkai's lands. Shiori was surprised at the distance they had to travel yet with the aid of the bullet train, Japan's fastest mode of transportation; it only took a few hours even at their slow pace. Yuki didn't walk fast, her legs were short and her body was still fairly weak.

Waiting at the foot of the stairs was two young men who appeared around Kurama's age. Yuki was quick to hide herself behind Kurama upon spotting them. They felt strong, like Kurama and Hiei did. Strong, like Master and his clients. She released her grip on his sleeve only to clutch at the back of his shirt.

"Ku-" The one with strange orange hair began only to be cut off by the other man.

"Suuichi!" The black haired man called out, standing from the steps. He hadn't been told much of what was going on and was surprised to see Shiori at the temple. This was a place where demons roamed free.

"Yusuke, Kuwabara, it is good to see you." Kurama gave a nod of his head as they approached.

"How are you boys doing?" Shiori asked, surprised to see her son's old friends.

"We hear Suuichi here needed a favor…" Yusuke was left stumbling, not sure what the kind woman knew or how much he could say.

"Yes, let us get up the stairs before we discuss anything." Kurama could feel a headache threatening to build. If he manages to survive this with his sanity and his secretes it would be a blasted miracle.

Kuwabara was eager enough to begin the walk up the many stairs and was followed closely by Yusuke. In a few short moments the two began to race, leaving the others to walk at a more leisurely pace.

Yuki watched the whole exchange with careful eyes. She not once gave the men's faces more than fleeting glances however. With them gone, she didn't cower directly behind the red head but his frame still largely obscured hers from view. She didn't release the back of his shirt from her clutches, but her grip did at least relax as they climbed stairs.

And climb they did. It felt like the stairs were endless. Yuki never really paid much attention to the strength of her body but she realized she must truly be weak the moment when her legs began to ach and keeping up with Kurama was difficult.

Yuki's struggles did not go unnoticed. Each time she lagged behind even the slightest bit, Kurama could feel the tug on his shirt. He slowed his pace mainly for Yuki but it was to the benefit of Shiori as well. When even that did not seem to ease her struggles after a bit he acknowledged defeat.

At this point even Shiori was beginning to feel a slight ach in her legs. She watched as her son fluidly knee, one foot braced on the step above the other with his arms reached out behind him.

"Get on." He commanded gently. "I'll carry you the rest of the way."

For a moment Yuki hesitated. When she didn't climb onto his back, he wiggled his fingers at her.

"Come on, it's okay." He coaxed again, looking over his shoulder at her.

Yuki knew she should have obeyed the first time but his command didn't feel like a command to her. She wondered if once Master came for her, would she slip in such a fashion? With a shake of her head she timidly climbed onto his back. As Kurama stood, she clutched at his shoulders.

He walked swiftly up the stairs, slowing only when he realized he was starting to leave his mother behind. They made quick work of the remaining stairs. Yusuke waited at the top, watching them make their way up.

Kuwabara had abandoned him, excited and eager to see 'his love' again. Yusuke was more interested in seeing what 'trouble' Kurama seemed to encounter. His friend hadn't given him much information before hand, simply that he needed help with some trouble his mother brought home.

At the base of the stairs, Yusuke caught a glimpse of someone hiding behind Kurama. This person in question seemed to register faintly as a demon in his senses but he had met countless humans with energy signatures stronger than this. Truth be told, he had met humans walking on the street, going about their mundane lives who felt stronger.

"So what do you have there?" Yusuke asked as they reached the top. He could see that it was a girl, wearing a large brimmed hat before she quickly tried to hide herself. When that didn't really work well for her she settled for intensely looking at the fabric that covered Kurama's shoulder.

"Inside." Kurama didn't offer much other answer as he made his way to the temple. He didn't stop to let Yuki off his back and she was rather pleased by that. Her feet hurt a bit from all the walking- it was more than she had ever done.

Shiori smiled at Yusuke and made some small talk as they trailed behind her son. Inside the temple they were greeted by a smaller old woman who grunted her welcome.

"Mother this is Master Genkai, she is the one who agreed to house Yuki. Genkai, this is my Mother, Shiori." Kurama directed with a tilt of his head as he knelt down, slipping Yuki from his back.

It took her no time at all to resume her place behind him, clutching the back of his shirt. She glanced fleetingly at the old woman but for the most part, she kept her eyes to the floor or Kurama's back. She could hear others in the room.

"Shiori," Genkai addressed as she tilted her head in the general direction of another much younger woman, "Yukina here will show you what room will be our guest's."

"Yuki. Her name is Yuki…" Shiori offered as she gathered up what few bags she had.

"I'm sure Yuki will like the room." Yukina spoke softly as she began to lead the way, taking a bag from Shiori. It was silent for a few moments after the two women left.

"She named her?" Genkai dryly chuckled to herself.

"Yes." Kurama admitted with a sigh as he motioned and then nudged Yuki out from behind him. "This is Yuki."

She could feel the weight of Kurama's large hands on her shoulders as he softly held her in place, making it clear that he didn't wish for her to resume hiding behind him. With that option not viable, she was rather forced to remember her manners. She didn't know these people and while Kurama, Hiei and Shiori had all been lax with her, these people may not be.

And so Yuki bowed deeply before the old woman. Her light hair shifted and fell in curtains around her shoulders. The hat perched on her head slipped from place and softly glided to the ground at Genkai's feet. Yuki made no effort to retrieve it. Timidly, she kept her ears back, resting nearly against her head even though the hat was gone and they could move freely again.

Yuki straightened but remained with her head bowed in front of Kurama as he again began to speak. She didn't know what she was to do so she settled on doing nothing and wishing he would give her direction.

"Mother found her in a park a few weeks ago nearly dead from malnourishment. She has given the little kit the name Yuki and has been caring for her. I've yet to be able to track down where she has come from, who her keepers are or even a trace of her past. Someone is looking for her however and it is no longer safe for Yuki to remain at our home." Kurama made his way to the kotatsu and sat down as he spoke. Yuki followed him closely and sat behind him and just to his left.

"Why not just ask her?" Kuwabara asked as if the idea was a grand one.

"She's mute, idiot." Genkai had noticed the scaring on Yuki's neck, though it was hard to see. If it Kurama hadn't disclosed this fact early on she wouldn't have thought much of it but the idiot needn't know that.

"So, Shiori knows now?" Yusuke asked. Though his question was vague, the meaning wasn't lost on Kurama.

"She knows about demons, to a degree, yes. I have made her aware of Hiei's nature. She is aware I work with and around demons. She does not however, know about my nature and I would rather it remain that way." Yuki twitched her ears behind him while she listened to Kurama's words.

"But she accepts Yuki? I'm sure she would accept-" Kuwabara's words were cut off by Kurama's icy cold voice.

"That is my decision. I have made it, abide by it."

The two women returned shortly after. Together they all discussed Yuki's improving health as well as what they could gleam from Yuki's past based on her actions. When Shiori and Kurama finally left, Shiori again reminded them that Yuki was a timid girl and to be kind to her.

Yuki didn't want them to go. She didn't want to be left with these strangers. She didn't want to be left in an unknown situation. She didn't want to have to worry about how to please these ones. She didn't want to have to be alone again.

But as the sun set, they did leave and Yuki was left standing on the porch with her ears and tail drooping and downcast eyes. She wished to be back with her Master. There she knew what to expect. With him she knew how to please. She knew how to act. She knew what came next.


End file.
